Poor Filipinos eat garbage food while Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, her family, and the Philippine government feast on the Philippine resources. (video uploaded by PinasWatcher)
An 8min video-tribute for Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo, a true Nationalist and servant of the Filipino masses. Produced and directed by ST eXPOSURE.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
THE CONTINUING SAGA OF THE FARMWORKERS OF HACIENDA LUISITA
by Atty. Jobert Ilarde‐Pahilga, executive director Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra), and campaign officer of National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)
THE ACQUISITION OF THE HACIENDA BY THE COJUANGCOS
In 1957, Jose Cojuanco Sr., bought majority shares of the [...]
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
THE CONTINUING SAGA OF THE FARMWORKERS OF HACIENDA LUISITA
by Atty. Jobert Ilarde‐Pahilga, executive director Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra), and campaign officer of National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)
THE ACQUISITION OF THE HACIENDA BY THE COJUANGCOS
In 1957, Jose Cojuanco Sr., bought majority shares of the [...]
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
THE CONTINUING SAGA OF THE FARMWORKERS OF HACIENDA LUISITA
by Atty. Jobert Ilarde‐Pahilga, executive director Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra), and campaign officer of National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)
THE ACQUISITION OF THE HACIENDA BY THE COJUANGCOS
In 1957, Jose Cojuanco Sr., bought majority shares of the [...]
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
THE CONTINUING SAGA OF THE FARMWORKERS OF HACIENDA LUISITA
by Atty. Jobert Ilarde‐Pahilga, executive director Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra), and campaign officer of National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)
THE ACQUISITION OF THE HACIENDA BY THE COJUANGCOS
In 1957, Jose Cojuanco Sr., bought majority shares of the [...]
The truth indeed prevails. Prof. Jose Ma. Sison is no terrorist.
While the decision of the European Court of First Instance (ECFI) against the terrorist listing of Prof. Jose Ma. Sison is a major victory in the campaign for his rights, the threat of the Council of Europe appealing the decision until the end of this [...]
Bayan Muna Partylist Rep. Satur Ocampo leads the distribution of relief goods in Muntinlupa City. The residents of the community live near the Laguna Lake, which is still flooded two weeks after Ondoy struck Luzon. (video and description by Kadao Correspondent)
Relief operation by Kadamay-Anakpawis for the victims of Ondoy. (video by KadaoPhil)
Noong Hulyo 10, nagsagawa ang mga kabataan ng Pambansang Protesta laban sa Con-Ass. Nag-walkout sila sa klase at nagtungo sa Mendiola. Heto ang walk out na ginawa ng mga estudyante ng University of the Philippines Diliman. http://www.pinoyweekly.org
Ibinunyag ng mga manggagawa sa Laguna Technopark ang tanggalan at iba pang kontra-manggagawang iskema ng mga kompanyang apektado umano ng pandaigdigang krisis pampinansiya. http://www.pinoyweekly.org
Nagbabala ang mga kababaihan laban sa “bagong henerasyon ng comfort women” kapag ipinagpatuloy ng gobyernong Arroyo ang Visiting Forces Agreement http://www.pinoyweekly.org
First Gentleman Mike Arroyo has been very successful in dodging his involvement in high profile corruption and plunder cases in the Philippines His sons and brother and the President herself as co-conspirators to rape the Philippine people of their wealth and dignity. (description and video by shapeshifter2007)
PCIJ director malou mangahas guests on ANC to speak on the PCIJ series on Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s mysterious assets. (video uploaded by edlingao)
Gloria gets richer fastest, beats Cory, Ramos, Erap
First of Three Parts
A FORTNIGHT ago in her ninth State of the Nation Address, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo fired sharp, staccato broadsides at her critics, and in a tone bold and boastful declared: I am falsely accused, without proof, of using my position for personal profit.
There isnt a day, [...]
On March 8, International Women’s Day, thousands of Filipino women marched on the streets of Manila to protest the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United Stats.(Photos by Ronalyn Olea and Ayi Muallam / Produced by Alyi Muallam / Bulatlat.com)
Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel “Boy” Mejorada dissects the inconsistencies and blatant lies made by Cong. Mikey Arroyo on his sudden leap in networth as revealed during his interview over GMA TV with Arnold Clavio and Winnie Monsod in his program, “Dalan sa Kauswagan” on Sept. 6, 2009. (description and video by BoyMejo)
VERA Files stands by its report on Arroyos
By Vera Files
The house at 1655 Beach Park Boulevard in Foster City, California, remains registered in the name of Angela Arroyo Montenegro, wife of President Gloria Arroyos son and Rep. Juan Miguel Mikey Arroyo of Pampanga, data from the San Mateo County assessors office show.
As of Monday, the [...]
Mikeys assets before getting elected: P50,000
His net worth when he was Senate assistant grew 113 times before he became vice governor.
President Arroyos oldest child, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Mikey Arroyo, has lately been under scrutiny not only for allegedly misdeclaring his properties but also for being unable to explain satisfactorily how his net worth grew [...]
PGMA did her hopefully last State of the Nation Address wearing a Purple Dress, which reminded me of Barney, together with all the lies…(video by corruptscankissmyass)
Gloria Arroyo boasts of numbers…what about her corruption scandals?! (video by corruptscankissmyass)
n solidarity with the fighting masses in Philippines, Columbia, Guatemala and many other countries. Down fascist terror and repression! Down imperialism and US interventions! Stop the killings – justice now! Our martyres and victims are not forgotten. The struggle goes on, day by day we are stronger. The people united never can be defeated. El [...]
A mothers account on the demolition that took place in their community. She narrates how fear and sickness struck her children and how she contemplates on life’s bitterness.
Last July the community they were staying was demolished. (description and video by imkonsens)
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Cebu and Panaghugpong Kadamay stage protest after learning that Arroyo spent $20,000 (nearly 1 million) stating that the dinner could have fed almost 300, families for the whole day (video by imokonsens).
The Bayan Muna Partylist relief drive is ongoing. We appeal for volunteers, donations and material/financial support for those affected by Typhoon Ondoy. Goods & donations can be dropped off at the Bayan Muna National Headquarters, #45 K-7th St., Brgy. West Kamias, Quezon City or call 921-3473 (video by Kadao Correspondent).
Dukot tackles the issues of human rights violation and extra-judicial killings. Dukot will surely hurt because its an anthology of reality-based stories of the so-called desaparecidos, particularly those activists who have disappeared under mysterious circumstances and who, to this date, have not been heard about by their own families.
Palanca-awardee Bonifacio Ilagan wrote Dukot megged by [...]
This song is dedicated to all corrupt officials of the Philippine Government. Inspired by Peter Parker, the composer of this song. IIPAGLABAN ANG KALAYAAN! SUGPUIN ANG MGA MIYEMBRO NG KASAMAAN SA PAMAHALAAN! (video by youtub3watcher)
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her family’s wealth grows exponentially as Philippines sinks deeper in poverty and misery!
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her family’s wealth grows exponentially as the Philippines sinks deeper in poverty! Filipino people struggle on a budget 50 pesos for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her family ate a million in a dinner at Le Cirque – in one single dinner!
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her family’s wealth grows exponentially as the Philippines sinks deeper in poverty! 37 million pesos splurged on a non-productive foreign trip of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, her family, her friends, hangers-on in government and their wives.
As part of the Macapagal-Arroyo family’s exponential growth in assets, Mikey Arroyo tries hard to hide the truth from the public about his ballooning wealth.
As part of the Macapagal-Arroyo family’s exponential growth in assets, Mikey Arroyo tries hard to hide the truth from the public about his ballooning wealth.
By all indications, President Arroyo has worked very hard. In fact, she has worked so hard that during her first years as president, official records show her declared wealth as growing faster, and by amounts much bigger, than the combined growth in the declared wealth of three presidents before her.
The late President Corazon C. Aquino’s [...]
Workers, farmers, teachers, students, journalists, clergy, party-list representatives, and human rights workers have already been killed in the Philippines. Many witnesses to the killings point to elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in carrying out these murders. (www.stopthekillings.org )
This short presentation echoes the call of the families, relatives, friends and co-workers of victims of enforced disappearances to surface the decaparacidos. (by video cibmakabayan)
The State of Science and Technology in the Philippines. A documentary about the situation of Filipino scientists, engineers, science educators, and technologists. Released in 2005 by AGHAM (Advocates of Science and Technology for the People).
The State of Science and Technology in the Philippines. A documentary about the situation of Filipino scientists, engineers, science educators, and technologists. Released in 2006 by AGHAM (Advocates of Science and Technology for the People).
“Sa Hamon ng Panahon” is a documentary drama about human rights in the Philippines, written and directed by Boni Ilagan. Produced by Kodao Productions and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.
September 21 Rally on the 37th Anniversary of the Declaration of Martial Law. (Video by Kadao Phils.)
Lt. Senior Grade Nancy Gadian reveals the participation of US troops in combat operations in Mindanao in a press conference held by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) and the Junk VFA Movement at the UP Balay Kalinaw. (Video by KADAO Phils.)
Hustisya! (Justice!) investigates the series of human rights violations of the Macapagal-Arroyo regime in the Bicol region.
Hustisya! (Justice!) investigates the series of human rights violations of the Macapagal-Arroyo regime in the Bicol region. (Video by Bikol Express)
BAN BALIKATAN.Bikolano Alliance for Nationalism Against Balikatan, is an alliance of nationalist and patriotic Bicolanos against the 2009 RP-US Balikatan Exercises – the 25th Joint RP-US War Exercises, to be conducted in the provinces of Region V Bicol, Philippines.
Ban Balikatan believes that the main purpose for conducting joint military exercises by the AFP and US [...]
Atin ang Lakas, Tayo ang Pag-asa! 31 Taon ng Paglilingkod sa Sambayanan at Pakikibaka para sa pambansang demokrasya.
Here is a video teaser in anticipation of the 31st Anniversary of the League of Filipino Students on September 11.
Featured is Gaylord Despuez of Bayan Muna, LFS alumnus.
Human rights workers and Karapatan volunteers victimized by state terrorism of the U.S-Arroyo regime.
The Promotion of Church People’s Response and Karapatan held a noise barrage and candle lighting along E. Rodriguez, Quezon City to condemn the state-sponsored murder of Fr. Cecilio Lucero in Samar, Philippines. (Kadao Productions Philippines)
A vigil in Montreal Canada held in April 2007 in memory of the 837 individuals who have been killed in the Philippines in the past five years under the brutal and corrupt Arroyo regime.
BAYAN-USA and NAFCON honor the memory of Ka Bel, a beloved Philippine politician, activist, and leader who passed away on May 20, 2008 with a candlelight vigil that took place on May 27, 2008, in Woodside, Queens, New York.
Angel Locsin endorses Gabriela. Re-elect Gabriela Women’s Party! Vote for Women, Children, OFWs and Country!
In the light of the recent declaration of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s candidacy for Philippine president, Pinoy Weekly comes out with this short video of an interview with Lito Bais, former farm worker in Hacienda Luisita of the Cojuangco family (of which Noynoy is part) in Tarlac. Bais was one of the leaders of the [...]
Kamakailan, inihayag ni US Defense Secretary Robert Gates na mananatili sa Pilipinas ang 600 tropang Amerikano na kasapi ng elite na grupong kontra-insurhensiya. Nagprotesta noong Agosto 25 sa harap ng embahada ng Estados Unidos sa Roxas Blvd, Maynila ang mga miyembro ng Bagong Alyansang Makabayan at iba pang mga grupo. http://www.pinoyweekly.org
Ayon sa mga magsasaka ng Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, magpapatuloy ang pangangamkam ng lupa at konsentrasyon nito sa kamay ng iilang panginoong-maylupa at korporasyon dahil sa ipinasa ng Kongreso na limang-taong ekstensiyon ng Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. http://www.pinoyweekly.org
June 4, 2009 – Farmers led by Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and Katipunan ng Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (KASAMA-TK) were violently dispersed during the 2nd day of their 2-day protest action. This rally on June 3-4 marked the culmination of their 54-day camp out calling for the immediate enactment of HB 3059 or [...]
In this time of corrupt governance and political unrest/instability, the nation needs young, vibrant and innovative minds that will restore integrity and morality in governance and lead the nation to genuine progress and social change.
Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland) NY/NJ and Kabataang maka-Bayan USA (Pro-People Youth), convening organizations of Kabataan Partylist — USA Chapter, declare its unwavering support to the Kabataan Partylist.
It’s actually Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visiting her treasured past.
Gloria Arroyo – Hitler Resurrects in the Philippines
Peasant Activist Randy Echanis Released. After nineteen long months, Randy Echanis will be having his first break from detention with the Supreme Courts order granting him provisional release for six months. Friends and family celebrated his temporary freedom in a gathering at the BAYAN office immediately after his release from Camp Crame. (video and description [...]
THE CONTINUING SAGA OF THE FARMWORKERS OF HACIENDA LUISITA
by Atty. Jobert Ilarde‐Pahilga, executive director Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra), and campaign officer of National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)
THE ACQUISITION OF THE HACIENDA BY THE COJUANGCOS
In 1957, Jose Cojuanco Sr., bought majority shares of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac (CAT), including the 6,453‐hectare Hacienda Luisita from the Spanish company Compania General de Tabacos de Filipinas (Tabacalera) thrug a loan from the Central Bank. The CAT and hacienda are transferred to Cojuangco’s Tarlac Development Corporation (TADECO), an agricultural corporation.
MARCOS FILED A CASE
On May 7, 1980, the Marcos government filed a case against TADECO before the RTC of Manila for specific performance to compel defendants TADECO, and the heirs of the late Jose Cojuangco, Sr. to turn over “Hacienda Luisita” to the Ministry of Agrarian Reform for the purpose of subdivision and sale at cost to “small farmers” or “tenants”.
On December 2, 1985, the Manila RTC rendered a decision that orders the Cojuangcos to transfer control of Hacienda Luisita to the Ministry of Agrarian Reform, which will distribute the land to small farmers after compensating the landowners P3.988 million. The Cojuangcos elevated the case to the Court of Appeals which was docketed as CA G.R. 08634. March 17, 1988, the Solicitor General, CB governor and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) filed a motion to dismiss the civil case against the Cojuangcos pending before the Court of Appeals on the ground that Hacienda Luisita would be covered by agrarian reform. Thus, on May 18, 1988, the Court dismissed the case against the Cojuangcos.
THE STOCK DISTRIBUTION PLAN and MOA
On May 9, 1989, the landowners, along with then DAR Secretary Philip Juico, Tarlac governor and the mayors of Tarlac City, Concepcion, and La Paz, the three municipalities covering the hacienda, held referendum among Luisita farm workers to present the SDO. Thereafter, Juico, Tadeco and HLI signed Memorandum of Agreement on the SDO.
In the MOA of May 11, 1989, HLI was designated as the SECOND PARTY to which the TADECO has transferred and conveyed the agricultural portions of Hacienda Luisita and other farm‐related properties in exchange for shares of stock of the farm workers. The agricultural lands in Hacienda Luisita which was covered by the MOA consisted of 4,915.75 hectares with an appraised value of P196, 630 million or approximately P40, 000 per hectare.
Based on the MOA the farmworkers supposedly owned 33.296% of the outstanding capital stock of the HLI, which was P355, 531,462 or 355,531,462 shares at 1 peso per share before May 10, 1989. In the stock distribution plan 33.296% of capital stock or P118, 391,976.85 or 118,391,976.85 shares will be distributed to farmworker beneficiaries within 30 years. Thus, the P118 million worth of shares of stocks
would be distributed to the farm workers not as a “one‐shot deal” but for a period of thirty years at 1/30 per year.
As likewise provided on the MOA, the qualified beneficiaries of the stock distribution plan shall be the farmworkers who appear in the annual payroll, inclusive of the permanent and seasonal employees, who are regularly or periodically employed by the TADECO. Thus, the distribution of the farmworkers’ shares of stock is actually based on the number of hours of work or mandays in the hacienda. The mandays in turn, are based on the system of guaranteed mandays, wherein the management of the HLI allocates the number of mandays available for manual work.
Moreover, if a farmworker will be dismissed from employment for any cause and therefore his name will not appear in the annual payroll, he will not receive any shares of stock for the year he was dismissed onwards. On the otherhand, a newly employed worker, although he is not a resident of the hacienda and should therefore not be beneficiary of the SDO, as his name appeared on the annual payroll, will receive such shares of stock on the basis of his mandays.
DISMISSAL OF FARMWORKERS AND LOW WAGES
In the year 2003, the daily wage for seasonal workers is P199.17 and for casuals, P194.50 which translates to a maximum of P1, 327.80 and P1, 296, respectively, per month based on 80 guaranteed mandays. After deductions for the loans and advance pays, the average take home pay is P18 for the seasonal, or P9 for the casual for a 2‐manday week.
Aside from the diminishing mandays and horrendous and intolerable take home pay, the area of the land originally placed under SDO likewise diminished by Land Use Conversion (LUC). As guaranteed mandays dwindle, massive lay‐off of farm workers in sugar‐coated forms like early
retirement (replete with quit claim/waiver documents) or the more direct retrenchment become widespread.
THE LAND USE CONVERSION IN HACIENDA LUISITA
On August 15, 1995, HLI applied for conversion a 500 hectares land of the hacienda. On September 1, 1995, the Sangguniang Bayan ng Tarlac reclassified 3,290 hectares of hacienda Luisita from agricultural to commercial, industrial and residential purposes.
On August 14, 1996, DAR approved the conversion of 500 hectares of the 3,290 hectares of reclassified Luisita land and has already been converted into the Luisita Industrial Park. The 500 hectares were sold for over two billion pesos (P2,000,000,000.00) yet, the farmworkers were only given P37.5 million by treating the same as 3% of gross sale from the production. In this year of 2006, sixty six (66) hectares is converted to make way for infrastructure projects like the Subic‐Clark‐ Tarlac Expressway.
THE PETITIONS FOR THE REVOCATION OF THE SDO
On September 28, 2003 elections for farm workers’ and supervisors’ representatives to the HLI Board of Directors only 15.26% of the shares voted thereof. Around 95% of the farm workers boycotted the elections as a protest to the SDO and because the four board seats were useless against seven management seats.
On October 14, 2003, the Supervisory Group of Hacienda Luisita, Inc. filed petition before the DAR to revoke SDO, saying the HLI was not giving them dividends, their one percent (1%) share in gross sales and thirty percent (33%) share in the proceeds from the conversion of 500 hectares of land. They likewise cited other violations by the HLI of the MOA and that their lives have not improved contrary to the promise and the rationale for the adoption of the SDO.
On October 7, 2003, during the opening of the milling season, more than a thousand farmworkers gathered to protest the SDO, land‐use conversion, joblessness at the hacienda.
On December 4, 2003, around 80% of the 5,339 farmworkers at the hacienda through their organization, AMBALA, filed a petition to DAR to nullify and rescind the SDO and to stop land‐use conversion at the hacienda.
THE TASK FORCE LUISITA AND PRESIDENTIAL AGRARIAN REFORM COUNCIL (PARC)
On November 6, 2004, members of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Labor Union (CATLU) and members of the United Luisita Workers’ Union (ULWU) simultaneously staged a strike and blocked the mill’s Gate 1 and Gate 2. The strike arose from the deadlock in the negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between CATLU and HLI (HLI) and the illegal dismissal of 327 farm workers belonging to ULWU on October 1, 2004.
On November 16, 2004 a violent dispersal of striking workers leave seven (7) dead, scores were injured. This has been known as the infamous Hacienda Luisita Massacre.
On November 22, 2004, the DAR issued Special Order No. 789 which called for the strengthening of the Task Force Stock Distribution Option through the PARC Secretariat.
On Nov. 25, 2004, the DAR task force stock distribution, later renamed Task Force Luisita, convened for the first time to discuss the petitions by Luisita supervisors and farmworkers. Prior thereto, HLI filed with the DAR its answer to the petition/protest filed by the supervisory group of respondent Zuniga and Andaya.
On March 15, 2005, DAR deployed 10 teams to 10 barangays within the hacienda to conduct focus group discussions with 453 farmers concerning their understanding of SDO, the supposed benefits thereof, the home lots and other provisions of the agreement, their recommendations on the SDO, and to determine whether there is truth to the allegations of the farmworkers that they have been pushed
deeper into the quagmire of poverty by the SDO and MOA.
THE DAR TERMINAL REPORT AND RESOLUTIONS OF PARC.
In July 2005, Task Force Luisita submitted its report on findings and recommendations to DAR SecretaryNasser C. Pangandaman especially as regards the investigation conducted on March 15, 2005.
In August 2005, Pangandaman created a special legal team to review the legal issues in the task force’s report.
On September 23, 2005, DAR special legal team submitted its terminal report on the two petitions, recommending the revocation of the 16‐year‐old SDO agreement in Hacienda Luisita.
On 23 December 2005, PARC issued Resolution No. 2005‐32‐01 which recalled/revoked the SDO plan of TADECO/HLI and placed the lands subject SDO plan under the compulsory coverage scheme of the CARP.
On January 3, 2006, HLI filed its motion for reconsideration of the said resolution.
PETITION FOR CERTIORARI AND TRO ISSUED BY SC
In February 2006, despite the pendency of the Motion for Reconsideration it has filed, HLI filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition against the PARC et al., before the Supreme Court.
Meantime, on May 3, 2006 PARC denied the motion for reconsideration of HLI.
In June 2006, the Supreme Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) which enjoins PARC and DAR to implement/execute the resolution revoking the SDO.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
In June of this year, HLI issued demand letters to the farmwokers to stop the cultivation of the hacienda.The farmworkers were give deadline until October 30, 2009. However, the farmworkers defied the demand and the deadline.
In October of this year, HLI again issued another letter to the farmworkers requiring the farmworkers to register with HLI. They were given until November 15, 2009. But, the farmworkers will again defy the order.
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