AGRARIAN Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano on Monday threatened to file charges against politicians, influential personalities and other individuals acting as aryendador or lessees of agrarian reform lands at the Hacienda Luisita for violation of the Agrarian Reform Law.
“The aryendo system must stop. Those financiers or aryendadors who coerce, lure and swindle land reform beneficiaries must be charged for the obstruction of land reform in Hacienda Luisita, Mariano said.
“Most farmworkers in Hacienda Luisita were forced by circumstances to give in to the aryendadors because they did not get any support from past administrations who covertly supported the resistance and manipulation of landowners.
Mariano earlier declared as void the buying and leasing of lands awarded to Hacienda Luisita farmers.
He invoked Republic Act 6657, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, that prohibits any sale or disposition of agricultural lands.
“RA 6657 is clear on its prohibited acts, that awarded lands may not be sold, transferred or conveyed except through hereditary succession or to the government,” he said.
On March 7 to April 7, DAR conducted a month-long validation study covering some 5,031 agrarian reform beneficiaries at the hacienda.
The study revealed that about 2,841 agrarian reform beneficiaries or 45.73 percent leased, mortgaged or rented out their awarded lands while 617 or 9,87 percent had already sold their lots to third-party buyers.
On the other hand, 187 beneficiaries or 3.01 percent were engaged in joint-venture arrangements.
The study also showed that the most common reason for leasing the awarded lands were financial difficulties and sickness in the family, while a number of respondents could not afford to cultivate the lots awarded to them because of the distance from their homes.
Most of the beneficiaries admitted the last time they saw their lots was during the installation in 2013.
“We know of wide-ranging disenfranchisement of farmworker beneficiaries in Hacienda Luisita,” Mariano said.
“We salute the determination and courage of Hacienda Luisita farmworkers. We must continue to work together to make genuine agrarian reform a reality.”