Hacienda redux EDITORIAL 06/26/2010

Hacienda redux

EDITORIAL Click to enlarge 06/26/2010 Hacienda Luisita was a problem during the Cory Aquino presidency and it was clear that personal interest came before national interest when Cory, being the sole law and government, as she enjoyed absolute dictatorship status then, by fiat, exempted her Hacienda Luisita while placing all rice, corn, sugar and almost every private agricultural land under her claimed centerpiece program, her Agrarian Reform project. When the Congress reopened, after 15 years, The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was enacted, placing all agricultural lands under CARL, including Cory’s hacienda. To go around the law, Cory again had her Agrarian Reform secretary go through a stock option deal, where, instead of land, the workers become stockholders of the Hacienda Luisita Corp. but which in the end, turned out to benefit only the Cojuangco-Aquino management, and not the workers. This state of Hacienda Luisita affairs went on, even under the Arroyo government — until a falling out between Cory and Gloria occurred, after which, Gloria’s Agrarian secretary issued a stop to the stock holdings system, and ordered the parceling of the hacienda land to the workers. This was quickly stopped by the Aquino-Cojuangcos who sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Supreme Court that left the resolution of the case gathering dust for some four years. Similarly, Cory’s son, Noynoy, the incoming President, is greeted with the same problem, which he has ignored throughout the campaign period, claiming that he only has a miniscule share in the hacienda, which has been parceled out for some commercial use which obviously will make the workers’ share of the land, infinitely smaller, should there be a resolution to the case before the high court..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100626com1.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Hacienda redux FRONTLINE Now comes the hard part focus Slum problem as Philippines braces for more flood