Palace: No point in reviving Mendiola massacre case

From the point of view of the Aquino administration, the Mendiola massacre is a thing of the past that should no longer be revived. "I don’t think it’s helpful for us to regurgitate issues that have been resolved years ago. We cannot keep revisiting issues over and over again," said Ricky Carandang, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning head, at a press briefing Friday. Still, Carandang said it will be up to the Department of Justice to handle the request of a farmers’ group for a reinvestigation on the deaths of 13 protesters in a violent dispersal 24 years ago. "Yung position namin is, you know, their issues have already been (resolved) and there’s really no practical point in bringing them up again. Again, if the DOJ feels that there is merit to it, then the DOJ can act," he said. He added the case will be up to the courts to decide. "If someone wants to file a case... and ask the courts, it’s really up to the courts to do that. Pero sa amin lang, parang na-resolve na ‘yan. There doesn’t seem to be a need to revive issues that have already been resolved. But, again, without prejudice to anyone who wants to bring it up," Carandang said. Earlier in the day, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she has forwarded the request of the farmers to the task force on extrajudicial killing.

Mendiola massacre In 1986, Corazon "Cory" Aquino ran for president against then strongman Ferdinand Marcos. Land reform was among the pillars of her campaign. She likewise promised to give "land to the tiller" and to subject Hacienda Luisita to land reform. Hacienda Luisita is a 6,453-hectare sugar estate in Tarlac owned by the Cojuangcos, the paternal side of Cory's family. Cory Aquino is the mother of incumbent President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. She died in August 2009 due to colon cancer. Marcos died in exile in 1989. Cory was catapulted to power following the February 1986 revolution. On Jan. 22, 1987, eleven months into her presidency, thousands of disgruntled protesters marched to Malacañang Palace to call for distribution of land at no cost to farmer beneficiaries. The protest action ended violently, with 13 of the protesters killed. — RSJ, GMANews.TV