Farm workers to SC: ‘Junk Cojuangco-Aquinos’s plea, declare decision as final’

Farm workers to SC: ‘Junk Cojuangco-Aquinos’s plea, declare decision as final’

“The high court must act now and stop the decades-old exploitation of farm workers by the Cojuangco-Aquinos.” – Ambala

By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Farm workers of the Hacienda Luisita urged the Supreme Court to declare with finality its November 22, 2011 decision ordering the distribution of 4,916 hectares of Hacienda Luisita land to the original 4,296 original farmworker beneficiaries (FWBs).

Through their counsel Jobert Pahilga, the farm workers opposed the motion filed by the Cojuangco-Aquinos last month seeking to increase the amount of compensation and to retain the option between owning stocks or land. In their motion, the Hacienda Luisita Inc. also wants to lift the ten-year prohibition on the sale of the awarded lands.

The Hacienda Luisita land owned by the family of President Benigno S. Aquino III has been placed under the stock distribution option in 1986 to evade land distribution. The Supreme Court decision in November 2011 removed the option to choose between stocks or land, saying that “control over agricultural lands must always be in the hands of the farmers.”

“The issues have already been raised by the HLI in its motion for reconsideration on the July 5, 2011 ruling of the high court. The high court resolved these issues in its Nov. 22 ruling. There is nothing new in their motion. The Cojuangco-Aquinos are only buying time, hoping for a miracle to happen,” Pahilga, executive director of Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra) told the media before the filing of their comment..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/01/31/farm-workers-to-sc-%E2%80%98junk-cojuangco-aquinos%E2%80%99s-plea-declare-decision-as-final%E2%80%99/