Friday, June 22, 2007

Cuenca's workers have no right to make any offer

Farm workers of Roberto Cuenca have no right and are not in a position to offer any portion of Hacienda Velez-Malaga in exchange for the 38 hectares that already belong to the 57 CLOA (certificate of landownership award) holders who were installed in the property last March 22.

This was the position taken by Task Force Mapalad in response to Romulo Tupas, president of Hacienda Velez-Malaga Independent Workers Union, who was reported the other day to have offered to give 53 hectares of the hacienda to the 57 CLOA holders on condition that they will leave the 38 hectares to the union and its cooperative.

TFM president Jose Rodito Angeles said the 38 hectares is already titled to the CLOA holders and Cuenca’s workers have no right to prevent the CLOA holders from entering and cultivating the property.

“My suggestion to the union workers is to stop being used as pawns by Cuenca, to stop resisting the right of CLOA holders to their land, and to start working for distribution among themselves of the remaining 301 hectares of the hacienda,” Angeles said.

Gerry Cahilig, spokesman of the TFM-affiliated Hacienda Velez-Malaga Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization (HAVEMARBO), said they would not entertain any offer from Cuenca or his workers that would result in the abandonment of their right to the land already awarded to them.

“Tupas and the other union workers should understand that we have fought Cuenca for 11 years and we have made substantial victories, including the battle in court. We will not give up on our victories. Why should we entertain any offer now after 11 years of hard struggle?” Cahilig said.

Cahilig added: “We have endured a lot of hardship, including hunger. During those years of our hardship, the union workers enjoyed the fruits of the land that was awarded to us. They should now stop being selfish and should let us enjoy the fruits of our struggle,” Cahilig said.

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