Luisita farmers ask SC to start land distribution
By Edu Punay, The Philippine Star
March 6, 2012

MANILA, Philippines – A group of farm workers of the Cojuangco-Aquino- controlled Hacienda Luisita asked the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday to execute its decision ordering the distribution of the 4,915.75-hectare sugar estate in Tarlac to the beneficiaries.

In their motion for clarification and partial reconsideration, the farm workers said Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) had not contested the order for land distribution and only raised issues on just compensation and stock distribution option.

“Apropos of the foregoing disquisition, the matter with respect to the placement or acquisition of the subject land under the CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program) through the compulsory or mandated land acquisition scheme is no longer a bone of contention so to say,” read the motion.

“Absent any question about the acquisition and redistribution of the land under the CARP, the matter is therefore deemed resolved and it can now be considered executory.”

Seventeen farm workers signed the motion, which was filed in the absence of a lawyer.

A bigger group of farm workers belonging to the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala) has been regularly holding a rally in front of the SC to call for the dismissal of HLI’s appeal.

The SC had recalled and set aside the option granted to farm workers to remain as stockholders of HLI in a decision in July last year.

The justices had unanimously agreed that the contested land should be distributed to the original 6,296 farm workers pursuant to an order of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) in December 2005.

Read full article @ www.philstar.com