To P.Noy about Hacienda Luisita (First of 2 parts)

Years ago, at the University of Tsukuba in Japan, the Filipino scholar community had the occasion to dialogue with a priest-adviser who was very close to President Cory. I remembered asking him the question why Cory, who was then President of the Philippines, did not seize the historical moment to declare genuine agrarian reform and why she did not start with her own family's Hacienda Luisita.

Looking straight into my eyes, I remember the priest-adviser of Cory answer that she could not make that decision as she knew the hacienda was not hers alone, that the hacienda also belonged to all her children as well as her other relatives.

Fast forward to the present.

Now that Cory's son Noynoy is President of this country, I am struck by the parallelism, the similarity of the situations that both mother and son, both presidents Cory and Noynoy are facing with regards to Hacienda Luisita.

P.Noy has been to Hacienda Luisita to rest for the weekend but his spokespersons reported that he did not wish to meddle at all and help put to rest this very controversial issue involving a long-time favorite rest area of his. His reason: Hacienda Luisita is not his alone, nor that of his siblings as the majority owners are other members of the Cojuangco clan.

While the whole Hacienda Luisita may not be his nor that of the rest of his siblings, the truth remains that he and his siblings are still owners of Hacienda Luisita, whether they are major or minor owners, Hacienda Luisita is still his and his siblings' as well as the other members of their Cojuangco clan.

And because P.Noy is owner along with his siblings, no matter how small his portion is and those of his siblings, he is in a position to decide what his heart and his faith in the Lord tells him is correct to do.

By relinquishing and giving up his share of Hacienda Luisita, beyond his siblings, beyond his clan, P.Noy can decide to make the historic commitment to the Hacienda Luisita farmers who have long toiled in their sugarlands, many of whom for sure elected him as their President! He can also request his siblings to do the same, to give up their share of Hacienda Luisita.

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