Noy welcomes hacienda accord; unions blast ‘deception’ BY Aytch S. dela Cruz and Charlie V. Manalo 08/07/2010

Noy welcomes hacienda accord; unions blast ‘deception’

BY Aytch S. dela Cruz and Charlie V. Manalo 08/07/2010 President Aquino yesterday welcomed the compromise agreement between the Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) management and its farmers that has been reportedly signed by the parties concerned notwithstanding the lingering contentions of other farm worker beneficiaries. Aquino, through his spokesman, Edwin Lacierda, described this as a pleasant development and hoped that the Supreme Court (SC) will rule favorably on this agreement. “The President has a very minimal interest, I think less than one percent, in Hacienda Luisita. The important thing there is to have a peaceful resolution. But he leaves the management of Hacienda Luisita to settle this problem with the farmer and the beneficiaries,” Lacierda said in a news conference at the Palace yesterday. Lacierda, nonetheless, mentioned that Aquino is pretty much aware of the “broad strokes” of the issue including HLI’s proposal that only one third of its farmlands should be distritued to the beneficiaries. He added that Aquino has also been informed of a suggestion being floated that presents an option to the farmers whether to convert these portions of lands to cash or not just to reach a mutual agreement with their landlords..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100807hed4.html

HEADLINES Noy strips gov’t lawyers of automatic Ceso III rank Palace, military downplay terror angle in Zamboanga airport blast Respect inter-parliamentary courtesy on Gloria, Zubiri tells House Noy welcomes hacienda accord; unions blast ‘deception’ De Lima dares Dumlao: File complaint vs coercive prosecutor US aid agency okays $434-M fund vs corruption, poverty