Luisita farmers oppose bids of 4 justices for chief justice post

MANILA, Philippines - Farm workers from Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac rallied at the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday to express their fear that the next chief justice would be beholden to President Aquino and reverse the ruling to distribute the 4,915.75-hectare sugar estate to them. Members of Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL), Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala) and Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) urged the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to make sure the nominees for chief justice would have integrity and independence.

UMA said four nominees – acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, Associate Justice Lourdes Sereno, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza and Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares – are biased in favor of Aquino’s family in placing Hacienda Luisita under land reform.

“We feel that if any one of these four becomes chief justice, he or she would be instrumental in leading the Supreme Court towards the reversal of its 14-0 decision last year ordering the distribution of hacienda lands to farm workers,” read the statement. “That will be a payback to the President for the appointment.” 

They will oppose the nomination for chief justice of the four, the farm workers added.

Joseph Canlas, AMGL chairman, said a nominee politically connected to Aquino must not be named chief justice. 

“We call against an ‘Aquino court’ or a high court favoring Aquino and his family,” he said.

UMA secretary-general Rodel Mesa said “a debt of gratitude” to Aquino would remain regardless who among the nominees makes it.

“It would be easy for the President to put a subservient chief justice and put the case of Hacienda Luisita on a standoff on the issue of just compensation,” he said.

A chief justice biased for Aquino would imperil other “sensitive cases such as the coco levy fund” involving presidential uncle businessman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.

“The Judicial and Bar Council must strongly consider these observations and should not allow the selection process to be bastardized by pro-Aquino elements,” he said.

“The next chief justice must not be a repeat of the Arroyo-Corona alliance.” The protesting farm workers burned large photos of Carpio, Sereno, Jardeleza and Henares outside the SC in Manila.

Mesa said Jardeleza served as lawyer and executive of San Miguel Corp. owned by Cojuangco.

“Jardeleza being appointed as chief justice would mean all cases involving the Cojuangco-Aquinos and Danding Cojuangco would be decided in their favor,” he said.

Mesa said cases involving coco levy funds against SMC could also be at risk with the appointment of Jardeleza.

“With Jardeleza becoming chief justice, the coconut farmers would not be able to retrieve the immoral coconut levy extorted from them since the Marcos dictatorship,” he said.

The farm workers said Henares is closely linked to Aquino, being a member of the Cabinet, she has not really shown her independence from Malacañang.

On the other hand, Sereno had pushed for higher just compensation for Hacienda Luisita based on the value of land at the time of the notice of coverage by the Department of Agrarian Reform on Jan. 2, 2006 pursuant to PARC’s resolution recalling the approval of the stock distribution plan. The amount could reportedly reach P5 billion.

Carpio had inhibited from the case because the law firm he co-founded (Villaraza Cruz Marcelo & Angangco law offices) once represented the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. in an acquisition deal involving parcels of land inside Hacienda Luisita.

As of yesterday afternoon, the JBC has listed a total of 53 nominees for chief justice, including 12 new names.

The latest nominees are SC Associate Justices Lucas Bersamin, Mariano del Castillo, Martin Villarama Jr., Jose Mendoza and Bienvenido Reyes, Court of Appeals presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. and Associate Justices Japar Dimaampao and Magdangal de Leon, Sandiganbayan presiding Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr., former senator Rene Saguisag, Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Ma. Amelia Tria-Infante and lawyer Ramon Maronilla.– With Ding Cervantes