Rep. Satur Ocampo » 3 Years After Luisita Massacre, Still No Justice for Martyrs

By Satur C. Ocampo
Bayan Muna Representative
House of Representative

(The following is the privilege speech of the author on the third anniversary of the Hacienda Luisita Massacre.)

G. Speaker, mga kapwa ko kinatawan, tatlong taon na ang nakalipas mula nang tumindig sa Kapulungang ito si Kinatawang Rafael Mariano ng Anakpawis at ang inyong lingkod at mariing kinondena ang isang trahedyang kumitil sa buhay ng pitong manggagawang-bukid at nag-iwan nang napakarami pang biktimang sugatan. Ang trahedyang iyon na tinagurian “Hacienda Luisita Massacre” ay naganap noong ika-16 ng Nobyembre 2004.

Once more, Bayan Muna pays the highest tribute to the seven martyrs who were killed when combined elements of the Philippine National Police – Region 3 and the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Northern Luzon Command opened fire at a huge throng of people gathered at the gate of Hacienda Luisita in support of 700 milling workers and 6,000 farm workers who had gone on a year-long strike to press for just wages and related demands. The seven martyrs were Jesus Laza, Jhaivie Basilio, Juancho Sanchez, Jessie Valdez, Jun David, Jaime Pastidio and Adriano Caballero.

To this day, no justice has come to the families of these martyrs.

Likewise, we pay the highest tribute to the union leaders and supporters who were murdered subsequent to the massacre with suspicion pointing to security agents of the state. The victims were: Central Azucarera de Tarlac Labor Union (CATLU) president Ricardo Ramos, United Luisita Workers’ Union (ULWU) director Tirso Cruz, peasant leaders Marcelino Beltran and Ben Concepcion, Bayan Muna-Tarlac provincial Chair Florante Collantes, Tarlac City Councilor Abelardo Ladera, Iglesia Filipina Independiente priest Fr. William Tadena, and former IFI Supreme Bishop Alberto Ramento. As in the case of the seven HLI martyrs, not one of the perpetrators of these killings have been brought before the bar of justice.

Ang malagim na pangyayaring iyon, na dumagundong mula sa lalawigan ng Tarlac hanggang sa buong bayan, ay umani ng mariing pagkondena sa hanay ng mga tagapagtaguyod ng mga manggagawa’t magbubukid sa US, Australia, Japan, Belgium, Taiwan at Hong Kong. Dahil sa masaker, muling nalagay sa tala ng kagyat na pambansang usapin ang repormang agraryo. Itinulak ng masaker ang mga ahensya ng pamahalaan at mga dalubhasa’t kritiko na muling suriin ang usapin at patakaran ng gobyerno sa repormang agraryo, partikular ang panukalang Stock Distribution Option (SDO) sa ilalim ng Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Batid nating lahat na ang SDO ay ginamit ng pamilyang Cojuangco para hindi maipamahagi ang mahigit 6,000 ektaryang saklaw ng Hacienda Luisita.