PHILIPPINES — A day before the fourth year anniversary of the gruesome Hacienda Luisita Massacre that happened on November 16, 2004, Southern Tagalog youth light candles of raging anger and condemnation against the continuing impunity and injustice to the massacre victims and the landlessness of the farmers throughout the country.
Students and youth organizations in University of the Philippines Los Baños held a candle lighting activity and a program while students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Sto. Tomas held a black ribbon tying to commemorate the martyrs of the Hacienda Luisita massacre, the new breed of “Bonifacio” who bravely fought feudalism and prevalent fascism of the elitist government in our times.
“Justice in the bloodbath arena of Cojuangco-Aquino clan remains elusive, after nine long years. The farmers of the Hacienda, despite the DAR’s claims to have distributed the land, still have not an inch of land in their hands,” Diego Torres said.
Through land use conversion and other schemes perpetuated by Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and CARP Extension with Reforms (CARPER), Hacienda Luisita, among other thousands of haciendas throughout the country, has avoided land distribution for more than 20 years.
“Injustice and impunity on Hacienda Luisita massacre is a Yolanda-like catastrophe. However, the fight for social justice will be a continuing ‘bayanihan’ or collective effort of the exploited people versus the one percent landlords, politicians and capitalists who steal the funds and hoard the resources from the vast majority,” Torres added.
“The youth cannot anymore afford the Aquino’s regime of injustice and calamity of terror to the Filipino people. Added to his irresponsibility to victims of Typhoon Yolanda who direly need relief and response, Aquino’s corrupt and elite government must be held accountable in the long suffering of the farmers whom his own clan have oppressed for six decades,” Torres said.
