“The Cojuangco-Aquino clan is the mastermind of this brutality as
they see the camp-out at barangay Balete as symbol of the farmworkers’
unity in struggling for their rights to the land.” – AMGL
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com
MANILA –For three consecutive days, security guards hired by the
Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) have been attempting to put up fences at the 184-hectare land at Balete village in
Hacienda Luisita.
The RCBC “acquired” the land on November 24, 2004 as payment for the
loan obligations of Luisita Industrial Park Corporation (Lipco).
Since July last year, the farm workers led by the Alyansa ng
Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala or Alliance of Farmworkers
of Hacienda Luisita), have
occupied the land and cultivated it for their survival.
For three days, farm workers have been defending their camp,
preventing RCBC security guards from putting up fences. At around 3 p.m.
today, seven farm workers have been arrested by the local police.
Farm
workers of Hacienda Luisita and their supporters march toward the Chino
Roces (formerly Mendiola) bridge, March 27, condemning the latest
incidents of harassment against farm workers (Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea/ bulatlat.com)
Among those arrested are two village officials of barangay Balete –
Winky Esteban and Jay Martinez–Dionisio Mandigma, Manuel Mandigma and
Robert Mendoza, according to Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson
(AMGL), the regional federation of farmers groups where Ambala belongs.
They have been charged with malicious mischief and are now detained at
the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Tarlac City.
Also arrested were Alfred Martinez, 17 and Meric Trinidad, 16 and were eventually released at around 4 p.m.
AMGL also reported that during the arrest, two policemen pointed
their M-16 rifles at farm worker Becky Canlas while two other policemen
manhandled Florida Sibayan, leader of the women of Ambala.
“We condemn this latest attack against Hacienda Luisita farmworkers.
The Cojuangco-Aquino clan is the mastermind of this brutality as they
see the camp-out at barangay Balete as the symbol of the farmworkers’
unity to struggle for their rights to the land,” said Joseph Canlas,
AMGL chairman.
Pending petition
Leonor Saroza, Ambala secretary general, told Bulatlat.com that the
land being claimed by the RCBC should be part of the thousands of
hectares of land to be distributed to them.
On November 23, 2011, the Supreme Court issued a
decision
ordering the distribution of 4,916 hectares of land to farmworker
beneficiaries. In the same decision, however, the high court excluded
the land being claimed by the RCBC, stating that the bank was a “buyer
in good faith.”
Ambala filed a
petition
before the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) seeking to revoke the
conversion order the agency issued for the 500 hectares of land,
including portions being claimed by the RCBC. In their petition, the
farmworkers said the HLI did not comply with its obligations mandated
under the conversion order. Specifically, it did not pursue the proposed
development plan that was contained in the application for conversion
and instead disposed of the 500 hectares to other Cojuango-owned
companies and to RCBC.....
MORE
Source: Bulatlat.com
URL:
http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/03/27/tension-builds-up-in-hacienda-luisita-7-arrested/
