Quezon
City, Philippines – The Asian Peasant
Coalition (APC) is calling for the prosecution of Henry
Sy for landgrabbing of 5,800 hectares of
lands at Hacienda Looc, in Nasugbu, Batangas.
On
January 31, 2013, farmers from Hacienda
Looc filed through their counsel Sentro para sa
Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra), with the Department
of Agrarian Reform (DAR) a complaint for
illegal and unauthorized conversion against Henry Sy and
its SM Investment Corporation, SM Land Corporation and
Costa de Hamilo Inc.
Wilfredo Marbella, deputy secretary general of the
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)
stated that, “the said corporations converted 5,800 of
the 8,650 hectares land located at Nasugbu in the
province of Batangas. However, the Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR) has granted conversion order to 94
hectares only and the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued an
Environmental Compliance Certificate to 411 hectares
only.”
“Not
only that, the 3,981.3403 hectares of
land are covered by agrarian reform and the farmers
were awarded Certificates of Land Ownership Awards
(CLOA) while 1,321.6198 hectares were covered
with Emancipation Patents (EPs). Yet, Henry Sy owned
corporations were preventing farmers from cultivating
the land. Even the fisherfolks were also
prevented from fishing in the cove,” remarked Marbella.
“We
(the farmers) owned 5,800 hectares of Hacienda Looc.
Henry Sy has no right to grab our lands
and sell them. Likewise, we condemned Henry Sy for
harassing us (farmers) perpetrated by his armed goons
and security guards,” added Armando Lemita, a leader
of Ugnayan ng mga Magasasaka Laban sa Pangwawasak ng
Kalupaan sa Hacienda Looc (Umalpas-Ka).
“The
Hacienda Looc farmers, through their counsel Sentra,
wanted DAR to file criminal cases
against the Board of Directors and officers of SM
Investment Corporation, SM Land Corporation and Costa De
Hamilo including Henry Sy. The farmers also sought the
DAR to assured the peaceful occupation and cultivation
of the land they have been tiling for years,”
ended Marbella.
“It
can be recalled that in February 11-15, 2012, the APC,
KMP, KASAMA-TK (Katipunan ng Samahang
Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan) and SAMBAT (Samahan ng
mga Magbuubkid sa Batangas) sponsored an “International
Solidarity Mission (ISM) to Save
Hacienda Looc and Peasants’ Livelihood”. The ISM found
out that “land use conversions and large scale tourism
projects resulted to landlessness and food
insecurity affecting 10,000 population of Hacienda
Looc,” stated Rahmat Ajiguna, APC deputy secretary
general [read more...]
source: foodsov.org
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