“The church people have deeply felt our hardships at the hands of the Cojuangco-Aquinos. They believed that the decades-old exploitation and oppression of the Cojuangco-Aquinos resulted our present poverty and hunger. We praise them for their courage and commitment to help us in our struggle to push Aquino and his family to immediately distribute Hacienda Luisita,” according to Felix Nacpil Jr., AMBALA Chairperson.
Ambala and AMGL said that the Cojuangco-Aquinos defy to recognize the farmworkers as the legitimate owners of the hacienda despite the Supreme Court on November 22 last year decided that the remaining 4,915-hectares agricultural lands be distributed. On December 19, the Cojuangco-Aquinos filed their motion for clarification and reconsideration of the decision that uttered their intent to preserve their control over the hacienda or rake up money through invoking compensation on the lands.
“More and more sectors in our society are becoming aware of the moral and just side of the Hacienda Luisita issue. The Catholic church has made their stand to be at the side of the farmworkers and to struggle for social justice in the country. This is obviously the battle of good versus evil, the latter represented by the Cojuangco-Aquinos’ insatiable greed for power and wealth,” said Joseph Canlas, AMGL Chairperson.
“President Aquino continues to act as the warden of Cojuangco-Aquinos’ interests, he claims of leading the country but could not lead his very own family into giving up the hacienda so that many small farmworkers could benefit from land distribution. He must be ashamed of himself, church people and other sectors have joined the farmworkers for their call for land distribution and yet he never surrendered in defending his family,” He added.
The farmworkers challenged Chief Justice Renato Corona in a protest action before going to a “Misang Bayan” in Quiapo church, to stick on the decision favoring the farmworkers and not succumb to political offensive initiated by the Aquino government through the impeachment.
“We, farmworkers, have affirmed our fight for genuine agrarian reform and no one can prevent us from cultivation as we are legitimate owners of Hacienda Luisita,” Nacpil ended. #