The Philippine Online Chronicles

The meetup with presidentiable Noynoy Aquino was one of most anticipated among Blogwatch writers.  After a long wait, we finally had our chance to meet with the  presidential frontrunner.  Like previous Blogwatch events, we were allowed to ask only one question.  My question was focused on what many think is one of the more controversial issues surrounding Noynoy and his family the Cojuancos – The issue of Hacienda Luisita and land distribution to farmers.

The following was my question:

"Regarding Hacienda Luisita, a lot of people think that one reason CARP failed is because of the Stock Distribution Option (SDO).  Also, it is seen that the SDO has been able to keep farmers out of their land.  The main beneficiary, seem to be your very own family.  And in the end, farmers still receive barely anything from what they have put into Hacienda Luisita.  Do you think this is right & what will you do different as president that will give the balance of power & justice towards the farmers?"

Senator Aquino answered me in tagalog.  He made it clear though that he only owns less than 1% of Hacienda Luisita.  Noynoy's answer was simple.  The farmers have been with the Aquino family for decades.  They wouldn't want to burden the farmers by selling the land to them.  The farmers are good at tilling the land but they are not businessmen.  Hacienda Luisita land is also still in debt, how would the farmers be able to pay it without much experience in managing the land?  Noynoy also said that there are currently 10,000 farmers.  If they distribute the land as is, 1 farmer can only own less than 1 hectare, and also not all of the land will be equal in terms of fertility.  There's nothing a farmer can do if a non-fertile land was given to them.

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Noynoy stressed that if they wanted to be selfish, they could just easily sell the land, possibly getting Php 4.5B without worrying about debt or his image in the 2010 elections.

P4.5B = P100 per square meter x 10,000 square meter per hectare x 4,500 hectares

But according to Noynoy, the Aquino family treats the farmers like their own family (they were workers since 1958).  With that, they would want to transfer the land to them debt-free.  Noynoy Aquino even gave me a timeline that by the year 2014, the land will be fully transferred to the farmers.  Noynoy already asked his extended family to find means to transfer the assets free of debt.  While this is being worked on, they will follow what current agrarian reform program has.  He said that 70% of Hacienda Luisita is still owned by the Aquinos/Cojuancos while 30% will be paid as stock dividends to the farmers.

Here's a simplified timeline on Hacienda Luisita:

• 1958 – Jose Cojuangco Sr. becomes owner of Hacienda Luisita
• 1967 - government lenders obliged the Cojuangcos to distribute land to small farmers
• 1988 – RA 6657 The Comprehensive Agriarian Reform Law (CARP) is enacted, paving way for the Stock Distribution Option (SDO) instead of actual distribution of land.
• 2004 - Seven protesters were killed near the gate of the Hacienda Luisita (Hacienda Luisita Massacre)
• 2005 – Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) revokes SDO on Hacienda Luisita. 2006 – Cojuanco family petition Supreme Court for Temporary Restraining Order on revocation of SDO.
• 2009 - CARPER (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with   Reforms) passes

I have concerns with what Senator Noynoy gave as an answer.  The question of Agrarian reform, is complex, but there are answers that he gave that remains questionable if we look into the current situation we have with the SDO, The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) that ended in 2008 & CARPER which was enacted in 2009.

One very worrying statement that Senator Noynoy Aquino said when he answered my question is the fact that his family still considers SDO as an option.  And yet, candidates in his own senatorial slate like Risa Hontiveros has stated that as president, Noynoy will implement CARPER fully.

This raises the question:  Which is it really?  Do away with SDO as what is stated in CARPER, or keep the SDO scheme?  It is contradictory to say that SDO is still an option for his family when he knows full well that CARPER has already junked that part of the old CARP model.

Another important fact to note is that the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) had already called for the revocation of the SDO in Hacienda Luisita's case, and yet it was Noynoy's family who requested a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) with the Supreme Court in order for the SDO not to be revoked.

There are other doubts that I have with Hacienda Luisita and how Noynoy has handled himself and will handle himself should he become president.  Issues such as CARPER, the SDO, and even the excuse of burdening the farmers with debt, when Noynoy never once mentions that none of these debts have been incurred by the farmers themselves, but actually because of business moves by Noynoy's own family.

There’s also this unfulfilled promise by the late president Cory Aquino that she made during her campaign speeches with Hacienda Luisita.  She tried with CARP, but her promises remain unfulfilled.

I don't believe any candidate is perfect, but if our possible future president cannot even put his foot down with his own family, how much more the other Oligarchs in our country.

I can understand Noynoy and how he may actually want the best for the farmers, but there are too many issues, and even some discrepancies in statement and actions that still does not have me convinced if the issue of Hacienda Luisita will be resolved in his presidency.  Even in his answers, knowing full well that this issue has been ongoing, does not give concrete action plans as to how to transfer the land to the farmers (without debt), if indeed that is the end goal of his family.

I would have been more impressed if this issue were resolved even before he sought the presidency, at least we would know how much more he would be able to do if he is president.

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