By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat.com “Just compensation” when referring to agrarian reform is an oxymoron. All agrarian reform programs of Philippine presidents provide for “just compensation” for landlords whose lands are taken by the government for distribution to farmers. But this does not make it just. “How could you own that which will outlive you?” Macliing [...]

By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – The farm workers of the Hacienda Luisita and officials of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) do not see eye-to-eye with regard the implementation of a recent Supreme Court decision. The Supreme Court recently issued a decision ordering the distribution of 4,916 hectares of land to the original [...]

By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
“The value of the hundreds of thousands of tons of Luisita sugar comes from the labor of the farmers and the mill workers. Without them, the Hacienda would have remained a vacant lot.The farmers have already paid for their lands many times over.” – Anakbayan

By RONALYN V. OLEA
“The Cojuangcos have long benefited from their illegal and immoral stranglehold of Hacienda Luisita and the farmworkers’ have long paid for the land.”– Randall Echanis, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas

By RONALYN V. OLEA
“Now that the SC has decided in favor of Luisita farmers and farm workers, the burden of implementation is with the President’s family the Cojuangco-Aquinos and the Department of Agrarian Reform.” – Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano

Video: Young boy sings for Hacienda Luisita farmers

By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
“The Cojuangco-Aquinos used and abused all legal means to their advantage and interest of further controlling the lands.” – Rep. Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis

By RONALYN V. OLEA
“We occupied the land because it belongs to us. We used the idle land for the benefit of our children,”

By MARYA SALAMAT
After decades of what they described as “agrarian reform programs designed to fail,” Filipino peasants continue to suffer from landlessness and worsening poverty.

Sidebar: Lakbayan in Northern Mindanao Region a success – peasants’ groups

By RONALYN V. OLEA
“Clearly, there is no other purpose for the transfer of ownership of the 500 hectares but to evade the coverage of the said portion of their landholdings from the CARP,” they said. To date, the land has remained undeveloped, the petitioners said.

By INA ALLECO SILVERIO Bulatlat.com Support for the peace talks between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) continues to pour in as various sectors of Philippine society including religious formations expressed their stand that both parties return to the negotiating table and proceed with the next [...]