Skirmishes
| SHE SAYS |
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| Dinah S. Ventura |
While the Philippine Airlines row continues to simmer, the dispute between farmers of the Hacienda Luisita Inc (HLI) and its owners seems on its way to being settled.
A report from GMA News last Friday said that the farmers and owners of HLI have signed a compromise deal that gives the 12,000 farmer-beneficiaries the options to either “receive land parcels or retain their HLI stocks.” Those who have long wanted to own their piece of land will heave a sigh of relief at the hope this piece of news gives them.
A Stock Distribution Option deal was signed by the Tarlac corporation and their workers in 1989, or 21 years ago, giving the latter a share of the stocks. Under the latest deal, the farmers can now choose to surrender their shares to the corporation in order to own a piece of the 1,400 hectares within the 6,453-hectare plantation. Aside from this, financial assistance worth P150 million will be given to the farmer-beneficiaries once the agreement has been approved by the Supreme Court.
After 21 years of brewing discontent highlighted by a bloody encounter in November 2004, this is surely a welcome development. It seems the Aquinos, whose family owns the land and are stockholders themselves, are intent on clearing the air regarding this long-time issue that their critics have used, time and again, against them.
The ultimate aim of said agreement is to “uplift the lives of the people living in Hacienda Luisita, and an early resolution of the case, as well as all collateral issues, will definitely augur well to serve this purpose,” the document obtained by GMA News read..... MORESource: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100809com8.html
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