Sumilao farmers urge OP to defend order

Farmers who embarked on a 60-day, 1,700 km walk from Mindanao to Manila in a bid to press their claim over the controversial 144-hectare land in Sumilao, Bukidnon yesterday urged the Office of the President to defend its Dec. 18 order, revoking the conversion order for the property that is being developed by San Miguel Foods Inc. (SMFI). 

They made this call as they expressed suspicion over the silence of the OP amid what they described as “renewed public offensive” of the SMFI, which questioned the basis and authority of the OP to annul the conversion order and re-classify the 144-hectare landholding in Barangay San Vicente, Sumilao from agro-industrial use to agricultural use.

Napoleon Merida Jr., president of San Vicente Landless Farmers Association (SALFA), said the OP should not allow SMFI “attacks” to go unanswered, as its statement insults the OP.

“SMFI has shown its arrogance first in its Dec. 26, 2007 paid ad and now with its statements against the OP order. If the President is really serious about her pronouncements that the 144-hectare land be returned to the Sumilao farmers through agrarian reform, it has to defend its order against SMFI,” Merida said.  

Lawyer Arlene Bag-ao, legal counsel of the Sumilao farmers, said the SMFI is merely trying to construct a legal smoke­screen to muddle the issue.  

She said that SMFI brought this controversy upon itself when it decided to buy the 144-hectare land despite knowing that the land was bound to a conversion order. She also said that the construction of the piggery farm is not in accordance with the conversion order.  

Bag-ao advised SMFI to instead go after the Quisum­bings, former owner of the property, from which they bought the 144-hectare land.