Luisita farm workers firm on boycott of high court mediation committee By Charlie V. Manalo 09/23/2010

Luisita farm workers firm on boycott of high court mediation committee
By Charlie V. Manalo
09/23/2010

The eight leaders of the striking farm workers in Hacienda Luisita who walked out from the session of the Supreme Court (SC) created mediation committee last Monday affirmed their decision not to attend the succeeding hearings of the high tribunal sanctioned mediation body.

“We don’t want to be part of this modern-day zarzuela and long-running fiasco instigated by the management of Hacienda Luisita and their closet apologists and operators in the SC mediation committee,” said United Luisita Workers Union (ULWU) acting President Lito Bais.

“This SC mediation committee is useless. It appears to us that this body is acting on behalf of HLI management and carries the sinister agenda of the Cojuangco-Aquino landed aristocracy. The boycott of SC mediation committee stays,” said Bais.

The Luisita farm worker leader issued the statement in reaction to Atty. Christian Monsod call for them to return to the negotiating table. The mediation committee is currently discussing the land valuation pertaining to 4,100 hectares of the sugar estate..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20100923nat5.html