By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chairman
International League of Peoples’ Struggle
April 10, 2010
I convey wholehearted solidarity to all the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita and their supporters relating to all their activities in April.
I salute the 300 farm workers who are attending the Hacienda Luisita Summit on April 10 to 11. I have great confidence that your assessment of the campaign and struggle since the outbreak of the strike in 2004 will be successful.
I hope that you can draw important lessons from the experience and the struggle for genuine land reform would be strengthened anew. It is necessary to set forth the new tasks and to carry these out.
The firm and militant struggle for genuine land reform in Hacienda Luisita is a brilliant example for all the landless tillers in the Philippines. This struggle should be continued until complete victory.
I gladly support the forthcoming 5-day Lakbayan (march) of the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita from Tarlac to the national capital region from April 19 to 23.
The call should be made to the entire nation for the immediate and unconditional free distribution of land to the 10,000 farm worker beneficiaries of Hacienda Luisita. Expose once more the massacre resulting from the collaboration of the Arroyo regime and the Cojuangco-Aquino family and fight for justice for the victims.
It has come to our knowledge that a big amount of money has been collected by the corrupt Kamag-anak Inc. from their fellow big comprador-landlords and from US and other foreign enterprises to finance and ensure the victory of the campaign of Noynoy Aquino for the presidency.
If Nonoy would become president, he would certainly use the power of the state to frustrate and suppress the rights of the farm workers in Hacienda Luisita. He will continue the stock-option swindle made by Cory Aquino to cheat the farm workers and block genuine land reform.
Even now, Aquino and his family and their managers and lawyers are saying that they have many means and reasons for frustrating land reform. They are already indicating that if Noynoy Aquino would become president, his wishes would be followed in taking advantage of reconversion and reclassification and liquidating the farm workers involved in the stock distribution option.
It is an important duty of the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita and the entire people to expose and oppose the deception, violence and corruption of Nonoy Aquino and his family in frustrating land reform and continuing treacherously to usurp and control Hacienda Luisita.
Right now, we must vigorously fight the greed and cruelty of the Aquino family. Thus, we prepare well to fight if Aquino becomes president because of the money of the imperialists, despite his empty record in congress and the senate.
If Noynoy would become president, the Filipino people would be further exploited and oppressed. All of us would continue to suffer the policies dictated by the imperialists, like the policy of neoliberal globalization and “global war of terror”. The crisis wreaking havoc on the lives of the toiling masses and the middle forces would continue. The suppression of human rights, especially those of the workers and peasants, would continue.
Fight for the rights of the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita!
Always remember the massacres perpetrated by the Cojuangco-Aquino family from the Mendiola massacre to the Hacienda Luisita massacre!
Carry out genuine land reform for the peasants and farm workers!
Uphold national independence, democracy, development through land reform and industrialization, social justice and just peace!
Long live the toiling masses and the entire Filipino people!
By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chairman
International League of Peoples’ Struggle
April 10, 2010
