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Twenty-five farmers from Hacienda
Velez-Malaga in Negros Occidental are on the verge of reaping the
fruits of their decade-old struggle. Yet even on the cusp of
victory, they continue to regard with suspicion the government that
has time and again offered promises to fulfill their dream—only to
break them.
The farmers
have been staging a hunger strike outside the offices of the
Department of Agrarian Reform for nearly two weeks now. They
represent a group of 122 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who
had been awarded ownership rights to a 144-hectare portion of a
446-ha plantation owned by businessman Roberto J. Cuenca.
The DAR has
issued several orders directing the transfer of the disputed
farmland to the ARBs, but Cuenca has blocked them every step of the
way. The issue came to a head last January when alleged plantation
guards opened fire on the farmers as they tried to take possession
of the land for which they now hold certificates of land ownership
award (CLOAs). One of the farmers was killed and several others were
wounded.
The
nongovernmental Task Force Mapalad (TFM) took up the cudgels for the
frustrated ARBs when they decided to hold their hunger strike
outside the DAR building in Quezon City. The dramatic gesture
appeared to have achieved its desired effect when DAR Secretary
Nasser Pangandaman promised on February 28 to finally “install”
the 122 ARBs.
Fortunately
for the protesting farmers, their plight has been covered by the
provincial and Metro Manila media, which reminded the government
that two decades after the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program
(CARP) was launched, the age-old promise of “land for the
landless” continues to elude millions of peasants throughout the
country.
Potential
political damage
In addition,
mention of the name of Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio Arroyo in the
Hacienda Velez-Malaga affair probably motivated top government
officials to quickly douse this controversy—along with the very
real danger of political damage to the administration during this
crucial election year.
Former
Commission on Elections Chairman Christian Monsod, who provides
legal counsel to TFM, pointed out that Pangandaman’s failure to
enforce the law for the benefit of 122 CLOA holders would discredit,
not just DAR, but also Malacañang.
“It will not
be just a failure of Pangandaman, it would [also] be a failure of
President Arroyo and her whole system of justice,” Monsod said.
“The sad
thing about this whole [Hacienda] Velez-Malaga affair is that the
farmers were just pursuing the government’s very own social
justice program, the [CARP], but this same government seems to be
ignoring them,” he added.
Not anymore,
it seems.
As of this
writing, Pangandaman and other DAR officials were scheduled to
meet the police and soldiers who will be charged with ensuring the
safe installation of farmers sometime this week.
The protesting
farmers, however, are not yet ready to lift their hunger strike. For
years they have been at the receiving end of broken promises—and
they have vowed to keep on protesting until they gain actual
possession of the farmland awarded them 10 years ago.
The struggle
goes on.
Price-gouging
politico
A glitzy
dealership of pricey European cars is becoming notorious for gouging
its customers—and its celebrity-owner is getting the blame for the
company’s outrageously bloated prices for parts and service.
Recently a
customer brought in his 1994 model German-made sedan because of the
racket its suspension was making even on the well-paved North Luzon
Expressway. The customer asked for a cost estimate of parts and
labor from a service receptionist.
The car owner
nearly burst an artery when he was told that for the replacement
parts alone—including shock absorbers and tie rods—he would have
to fork out at least P75,000.
Not only that,
he must leave his car at the dealership for at least 10 days because
the replacement parts would be ordered and shipped from a foreign
suppler.
As if that
were not enough, installing the new parts would take an additional
week due to the large number of cars lined up for repair or service
at the dealership.
Miffed, the
customer pulled out his car and promptly headed for another
dealership in Quezon City. There he was told that the parts, which
needed immediate replacement, as well as other worn-out components
that the first dealership failed to detect, would cost no more than
P31,000—including labor.
The customer
was also told that the replacement parts were readily available and
that installing them would take just two to three days.
Needless to
say, the car owner was extremely satisfied—although he could not
help but wonder how much money the first dealership had stolen from
him through the years that he had his car serviced and repaired
there.
The owner of
the price-gouging dealership is a former lawmaker who has decided to
resume his political career. Running for office in May, the
dealership owner has probably ordered his employees to squeeze as
much money as they can even from their long-time customers in order
to boost his campaign kitty.
His erstwhile
customers will not be voting for him in May, that’s for sure.
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