Luisita massacre victims: 7 or 2?

by Delfin Mallari Jr. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100214-253094/Luisita-massacre-victims-7-or-2

LUCENA CITY—Former Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, a supporter of Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, said media reports on the number of striking workers killed in the Cojuangco-owned Hacienda Luisita five years ago were exaggerated.

“There were lots of news accounts on the number of casualties but the truth is there were only two victims (not seven as usually reported). I saw the bodies with my own eyes when I visited their wake and gave financial assistance from the government,” Soliman told an assembly of students, teachers and nuns at Sacred Heart College here Friday.

But Lito Bais, acting United Luisita Workers’ Union president, called Soliman a “liar.”
“She’s lying. How can that be when that bloody event was fully covered and reported by local and international media, aside from readily available government documents?” said Bais when contacted by the Inquirer for comment.

“The camp of Noynoy is really desperate to escape the ghosts of the Hacienda Luisita massacre. They are now trying to twist the facts surrounding the massacre,” Bais said over the phone.

He reiterated that the total number killed at Hacienda Luisita was seven.

“Aside from the seven, another seven union members also became victims of a series of extrajudicial killings that followed the massacre,” he said.

In a follow-up e-mail, Bais identified the victims as Jesus Laza, Juancho Sanchez, Adriano Caballero Jr., Jaime Pastidio, Jessie Valdez, Jhun David and Jhayvie Basillo.

“They were all farmers and workers of Hacienda Luisita. And we will continue with our struggle to give them justice,” he said.

Told of Bais’ reaction during the press conference after the forum, Soliman replied that the other five victims could have been outsiders and not farmers or workers at the sugar estate.

“The two victims were from Hacienda Luisita. The other five that they have been claiming (as victims), I don’t know where they brought their remains. I only saw two bodies but not the other five. I was looking for them (but did not find them). That’s what I meant,” she explained.

Viel Aquino-Dee, sister of Sen. Aquino who was with Soliman, insisted that their family should not be blamed for the killings. She said the protesting farmers were infiltrated by “leftist” elements.

Bais called Aquino-Dee’s statement “rehashed lines” of the Cojuangco clan.