Tarlac Bishop: Let the Farmers Decide

MANILA, August 13, 2010- Tarlac Bishop Florentino Cinense brushed off criticisms on the settlement agreement with the Hacienda Luisita Inc. and said the decision to accept it or not should be left to the farmers.

Cinense said the concerned parties have more to say on whether to discontinue the land reform mechanism or continue with the compromised deal.

Last week, 70 percent of the farmers opted for retaining their stocks in HLI representing 33 percent of the company, instead of getting parcels of land from 1,366 hectares of the plantation, which originally covered 6,433 hectares.

Cinense said he cannot blame the farm workers in choosing the stock distribution where they become stockholders and have work than having land but incapable of making such land productive to provide their needs.

"Kasi sila affected dyan e... kung akala nila ito ang makakatulong sa kanila, hayaan na lang natin...," the bishop said over Church-run Radyo Veritas.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo earlier slammed the land deal and claimed that to follow the law on land distribution is the ultimate solution to the problem.

Pabillo described the deal as "unfair" and urged President Aquino to intervene and convince his relatives to follow the law on land distribution.

But the Tarlac prelate reiterated that the farm workers still have the last say.

"Eh, kung yun ang gusto ng mga tao... you cannot make injury to somebody who is willing. Kung iyan ang gusto nila, ano magagawa natin," said Cinense. (CBCPNews)