http://www.tribune.net.ph/20100113/headlines/20100113hed2.html
Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino is a hopeless case as far as striking workers of Hacienda Luisita workers are concerned,” leaders of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), the Unyon ng Mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) and Anakpawis party list yesterday said.
In a joint press statement, KMP secretary general Danilo Ramos, UMA spokesman Lito Bais and Anakpawis secretary general Cherry Clemente said the refusal of Aquino to recognize the rights of striking farmworkers and his rejection of the legitimate, lawful and morally upright demand for immediate and unconditional free distribution of the 6,453-hectare sugar estate to more than 8,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries betrayed the collective interest of the Filipino farmers all over the country.
“Noynoy will not give up their immoral claim and blood tainted control of Hacienda Luisita,” the militant leaders said.
The militant groups said the agenda calling for free distribution of Hacienda Luisita to farmworkers and other agrarian reform beneficiaries will be posed to other presidential candidates in the May 2010 elections.
“The issues concerning Hacienda Luisita like the revocation of Stock Distribution Option, the immediate and free distribution of the 6,453-hectare sugar estate to land reform beneficiaries and the quest for justice for victims of the massacre on Nov.16, 2004 will be included in the peasant electoral agenda for 2010,” the groups said.
They said the family of Aquino failed to address and improve the lives of Luisita workers over the last three to four decades. According to them, daily take home pay of every farm worker in Hacienda Luisita is P9.50, which is not even enough to buy a half kilo of NFA rice.
Bais, the UMA spokesperson and acting president of the hacienda based United Luisita Workers Union (ULWU) announced that Hacienda Luisita will serve as a launching pad of Lakbayan ng Anakpawis Para sa Lupa at Katarungan which will officially start on January 16 in Northern Philippines.
Meanwhile, the nationwide farmers’ caravan dubbed “Lakbayan ng Anakpawis para sa Lupa at Katarungan” simultaneously kicked-off in Davao City and Cagayan De Oro City Tuesday with farmer delegates from Mindanao determined to reach Malacanang Palace to demand genuine land reform and justice on Jan. 22. the 23rd anniversary of Mendiola Massacre.
In a statement in Manila, Anakpawis party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano said farmer-delegates of the nationwide Lakbayan “will roll, sail, and march for 10 days to underscore the worsening landlessness, massacre of the peasantry, and plunder of agricultural funds under the Arroyo administration.”
More criticisms leveled against the LP standard bearer came from the Nacionalista Party, arising from the statements made by Aquino during the debate at Alabang held recently.
The NP said Aquino flooded the airwaves with his all-star MTV and Christmas greeting commercials last month thus belying his camp’s gripe that NP presidential candidate Manny Villar’s popularity rating soared in late December because the Social Weather Stations poll was timed with the airing of the latter’s TV advertisements .
“For the record, it was the Aquino camp that aired its Christmas ad first. We only followed suit. You can even say that we got that idea from their playbook,” Adel Tamano, Nacionalista Party senatorial candidate, said in a statement.
Tamano admitted that the Villar camp was prompted to place TV and radio to level the playing field, “which was skewed in favor of Aquino.”
The NP camp also cautioned the camp of Aquino from speculating the latter’s victory in the May elections.
“Don’t speak too soon about an Aquino win. The race for the presidency is still a long way,” Tamano said.
Aquino fared poorly in the debate, giving out non-sequiturs and even refusing to reply to an issue raised by Sen. Richard Gordon who brought up in the matter of his track record and experience, reportedly Aquino said he does not have to respond to poll cellar dwellers, referrring to Gordon.
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