Luisita Watch a network of advocates for the land and justice campaign of Hacienda Luisita farmers, declares ‘challenge accepted‘ after Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma asked those who are accusing members of the Cojuangco-Aquino family of several crimes in the vast Luisita estate to prove their claims.
On October 10, farmworkers from four out of ten barangays in Hacienda Luisita trooped to the Department of Justice to file 41 separate complaints against the Cojuangco-Aquino family, officials of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and local police after a series of violent assaults since 2013 when DAR commenced implementing what the peasants call as ‘faulty and minimal land distribution’ in the sugar estate.
In April 2012, the Supreme Court reiterated its earlier November 2011 ruling ordering the distribution of around 5,000 hectares of the 6,453-hectare sugar plantation to more than 6,000 farmers- land reform beneficiaries of Hacienda Luisita. “
Complaints of attempted murder, arson, child abuse, physical injuries, theft, illegal arrest and arbitrary detention, robbery and malicious mischief, were filed for Hacienda Luisita farmworkers led by Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) by a team of lawyers from the Sentro para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (SENTRA), National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), Public Interest Law Center (PILC) and Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center (PLACE).
In its online statement, Luisita Watch said “These abuses were committed despite, or in cruel retribution for the Supreme Court decision on total land distribution in Hacienda Luisita.” Furthermore, that the abuses detailed by Luisita farmers in the complaints before the DOJ were committed by hired thugs, private security personnel, and armed state forces under the employ or with direct orders from the Cojuangco-Aquinos through their TADECO.
Among the respondents are the President’s sister, Maria Elena “Ballsy” Aquino-Cruz and uncle Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., both board members of the Tarlac Development Corporation (TADECO). Other respondents include the rest of TADECO board members, former Land Transportation Office Chief Virginia Torres, Tarlac PNP Provincial Director Alex Sintin, and former Tarlac City PNP Chief Bayani Razalan.
The respondents are allegedly behind the bulldozing of crops, demolition of huts, mauling and illegal arrests committed by hired thugs, private security personnel, and armed state forces under the employ or with direct orders from the Cojuangco-Aquinos through their firm Tarlac Development Corporation (TADECO).
In a dialogue held January this year, DOJ Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III promised Luisita farmers that the department will form a special panel to investigate cases of violence in the hacienda. However, Atty. Jobert Pahilga of SENTRA said that DOJ is yet to fulfill its promise and the panel has not been created since.
In a statement broadcast on state-run radio, Coloma said that the Cojuangcos have long been accused of atrocities but concrete evidence is yet to be presented.
In a statement, AMBALA Chairperson Florida S. Sibayan said that harassment suits lodged by the Cojuangcos against farmers are piling up in local courts in Tarlac City while the farmers continue wait in vain for the DOJ to act on their legitimate complaints.
Luisita Watch calls on “the thousands of students, educators, artists, church workers, activists, alternative media groups, and advocates from North America, Europe and Asia who have seen the situation from recent exposure trips and visits to help the farmers expose grave abuses in Hacienda Luisita.” They also encourage writing about what they have seen, post and repost photos, and share content on social media accounts using the hashtag #LandJustice4LuisitaFarmers.
