Luisita deal with farmers set to be signed Friday

A compromise agreement that would give farm workers of the Cojuangco-owned Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac the option to choose between getting free land and keeping their stocks in the corporation, on top of P150 million in financial assistance, is set to be signed on Friday, sources from both camps said. Former Agrarian Reform undersecretary Bernie Cruz, who has been assisting the farmers since they began negotiations with Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) in 2007, said he and the plantation’s workers met with the corporation’s lawyers on Thursday to iron out details of the agreement. “Overwhelming na ‘yung pagtanggap ng farmers sa proposal (The farmers’ acceptance of the proposal is already overwhelming). They were just clarifying things during the conference. Wala na masyadong naging pagtatalo (There wasn’t much debate)," Cruz told GMANews.TV in a phone interview right after the meeting on Thursday. He added that leaders of the farmers’ groups who were in the conference will just meet with other farmer-beneficiaries on Friday to present and to collectively ratify the agreement before it is finally signed. “Ipapaliwanag na lang nila sa mga tao bukas ng umaga bago pirmahan, but since wala namang naging pagtatalo (They will just explain to the people tomorrow morning before it’s signed, but since there wasn’t any debate), tomorrow will just be for the formalities," he said. Another source from the HLI, who refused to be named because she is not allowed to talk publicly on the matter, also said that the compromise agreement is “likely" to be signed on Friday. The 6,453-hectare sugar plantation in Tarlac, which has yet to be subjected to agrarian reform and distributed to its agricultural workers, is owned by the family of President Benigno Aquino III. The Supreme Court has set oral arguments on the Luisita land case on August 18 to determine whether the stock distribution option (SDO) will be retained, or if the land will be distributed to the farmers as stated in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). P150 M in ‘financial assistance’ Based on an initial copy of the agreement obtained by GMANews.TV, the settlement will allow farmer beneficiaries to choose whether they want to stay with the SDO or get a part of 1,400 hectares of the plantation for free. The agreement also allows the farmer-beneficiaries who will opt to get a parcel of land to keep benefits such as home lots and production shares given to them when they agreed with the SDO. Aside from this, the 12,000 farmer-beneficiaries are also entitled to P150 million in “financial assistance" from the HLI in settlement of all claims — P20 million of which will be given upon signing of the agreement. The remaining P130 million will be given to the farmers once the agreement has been forwarded and approved by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court (SC), for its part, said that the fate of the oral arguments will now depend on the manifestations to be submitted by both parties should the signing of the agreement push through as planned. “The categorical recognition is always welcome and appreciated, even if there have been implied acknowledgement in the past. It is a confirmation that the Supreme Court decision stands on solid legal grounds. The parties will have to file the appropriate manifestation which the Court will consider," SC spokesperson Midas Marquez told reporters on Thursday. Aquino supports settlement Malacañang officials meanwhile said on Thursday that President Aquino, who has existing shares in the corporation, is in favor of “amicable settlement" between the two parties. Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing that Aquino was earlier informed by his relatives that there would be an offer for a compromise agreement with the farmers. "The President was aware of the broad strokes," he said. Lacierda added that Aquino is favor of any form of “amicable solution" to the 21-year-old land row. "That is his only input to his cousins, and yun ang sabi niya (that’s what he said), 'If you can solve this amicably then I am all for it'," he said. The presidential spokesperson stressed that the President never took part in any negotiations with the farmers and will keep his hands off any further plans for settlement. ‘Deceptive, diversionary tactic’ Two militant peasant groups, on the other hand, expressed opposition to the compromise agreement, saying it is “unjust and unacceptable to the farmers." Peasant group Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Hacienda Luisita (AMBALA) said farmer-beneficiaries are entitled not just to a part of the plantation, but to the entirety of the land. “If the reports are true regarding the terms and conditions of the settlement, then the same was already rejected by the farm workers two years ago as they are unjust and unacceptable to the farmers. It is the stand of the farmers that no less the entirety of the land should be awarded to them," lawyer Jobert Ilarde Pahilga, the group’s legal counsel, said in a statement on Thursday. Pahilga also expressed doubts whether those involved in the negotiations “were really representatives of the farmers and are negotiating for the benefit of the farm workers." The Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), another militant peasant group, meanwhile said that it will question before the high court the legality of the settlement, which they described as a “land and justice robbery in broad daylight." “This breakthrough settlement is the grandmother of all lies and deceptions. It is by itself a major act of plunder, corruption and betrayal of collective peasant land rights and public interest rolled into one," UMA national coordinator Edna Velarde said in a separate statement. “Definitely, we will confront this betrayal in the parliament of streets, in the venue provided by the Supreme Court, and in the court of public opinion," she added. -with Jam Sisante and Sophia Dedace/JV, GMANews.TV