70% of farmers prefer stocks — Hacienda Luisita Inc

Almost three-fourths of the 10,502 farmer-beneficiaries of Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) in Tarlac want to retain their stocks in the corporation instead of getting land, the company announced Monday. HLI officials said the results of the August 6 to 8 census of farmers in 11 barangays showed majority support for the compromise agreement signed between the company and the farmers on Friday. A copy of the census report provided to the media showed that 7,302 out of 7,441 farm workers preferred the stock distribution option (SDO) in the hacienda that had been hammered out in 1989. Only 139 farmers voted for land distribution, according to the report. The result of the census pointed to a "quick remedy" in the Tarlac land dispute that has dragged on for more than 20 years, HLI said. The compromise deal came almost two weeks before the scheduled hearing of oral arguments at the Supreme Court, set on August 18, regarding HLI's 2006 petition to revoke an order from the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) to distribute 4,915 hectares of the land to the farmers and to cancel the SDO scheme. A copy of the agreement showed that the

signatories committed themselves to "hereby waive and agree to withdraw any and all claims" arising from the SDO scheme filed with PARC and other government bodies. They also agreed to "release and hold harmless each other from any and all other liabilities or claims" in relation to the SDO, including future claims. HLI spokesman Tony Ligon said the compromise agreement will be submitted to the High Tribunal either on Tuesday or Wednesday. He added that HLI will provide financial assistance to all farm workers in the amount of P150 million on a staggered basis after the Supreme Court approves the compromise agreement. Representatives of three farmers' groups - the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid ng Hacienda Luisita (AMBALA), United Luisita Workers' Union (ULWU), and the Supervisory group of Hacienda Luisita Inc. - signed the agreement on behalf of the beneficiaries. SC may "quash" 2006 petition? However, the legal counsel of a rival faction of AMBALA has accused the hacienda owners of rushing the agreement so that the high court would "quash" the HLI's petition against PARC and prevent the government from distributing the land to the farmers. "Kaya nga gustong-gusto ng management na matapos kaagad ang compromise agreement para hindi talaga mawala sa HLI yung lupa," said Jobert Ilarde Pahilga, the lawyer of a splinter group of AMBALA. The farmers' groups in Hacienda Luisita have split into several factions during the long history of the land struggle in the sugar estate, and it remains unclear which of the groups will be recognized by the Supreme Court. Pahilga said Noel Mallari, who signed the agreement for AMBALA, had been "ousted from the organization for acts inimical to the farm workers. He has no personality to represent the 6,000 members of AMBALA." Mallari has dismissed Pahilga's statement as "black propaganda." The lawyer said once HLI submits the compromise agreement to the high court, his group will question it. "It must be said that the contract between HLI and the farm workers is imbued with public interest. The highest consideration here is social justice. But their agreement is a travesty of social justice," Pahilga said. He asserted that the compromise agreement violates the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reform. "The landowner has no option to retain the land except for the five-hectare retention limit as provided by the said law," he said.
"Freedom to choose" Meanwhile, company officials and the representatives of the farmers' groups appealed to other interested parties to abide by the compromise deal. "We ask the parties concerned in the agreement to respect the individual decisions of the farmworkers to stay with the SDO or proceed with land distribution," said Ligon. He said the parties signed the agreement "freely and voluntarily" and "agreed to cooperate with each other in good faith." The compromise agreement at the Hacienda Luisita is a "welcome development to all parties involved in the land row," HLI administrator Fernando Cojuangco told a press conference in Quezon City. Cojuangco said, "[Farm workers] had the freedom to choose. Those who choose the land will be given land, and those who want to retain the SDO will be allowed to stay," he said. Vigor Mendoza, Vice-President for external affairs of HLI, said farm workers who opted to receive land will receive "productive agricultural land ... clean of any lien or encumbrances." Big help for farmers Farm workers also expressed satisfaction that the compromise agreement had been forged and said this will finally mend the disagreement between them and the HLI management. "Dito kasi sa agreement, lumilitaw na nagkakasundo ang management at farm workers. Ito'y dahil nag-iisip na at gumagawa na ng pinakamadaling solusyon para maayos na ang kasalukuyang problema sa hacienda," said Windsor Andaya, a member of the Supervisory Group of HLI. Eldifonso Pingol, Vice-President of United Luisita Workers Union, said in an interview that the compromise agreement is a big help in elevating the working condition of farmers. "Kasi nakikita namin na ang agreement ay malaking tulong sa amin dahil totally black out ang hacienda ngayon. Walang trabaho ang karamihan. Pero dahil nga may ganito, madami ang makakabalik sa trabaho, tapos may compensation pa na pera," Pingol said. –VVP/YA, GMANews.TV