Legarda Asks: What is Mar’s Position on Luisita Redistribution?

NP-NPC-LDP VICE PRESIDENTIAL BET LOREN LEGARDA SOUGHT RIVAL MAR ROXAS’ POSITION ON THE REDISTRIBUTION OF HACIENDA LUISITA, IN ACCORDANCE TO THE 20-YEAR OLD AGRARIAN REFORM LAW AND IN RESPONSE TO FARMERS’ PLEA FOR LAND DISTRIBUTION.
“Up to now, Mar keeps dilly-dallying and has yet to define his stand on the issue. They should not make promises to redistribute their lands for the mere purpose of campaigning. How can you prove that you are pro-poor if you cannot even show transparency in the Hacienda Luisita and Araneta-Roxas records?” she asked.
She added, “public officials like Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas, who belong to the landed gentry will protect their own interests first which run counter to any efforts for reformists to eradicate poverty.”
“People are starving. The plight of farmers continues up to this day. Farmers are killed, hurt and harassed. The landless must be given land. This is what the law says,” she said.
“Luisita is a symbol of government’s failure to end a feudal and oppressive agrarian system. Neither Noynoy Aquino nor his running mate Mar Roxas, whose families are among the biggest landowners in the country, have taken any steps to correct it. This is a test of character – whether you stand against injustice or turn a blind eye to brutality,” she said.