OVERPROTECTIVE NOYNOY

“Blood Weighs More than Politics”

There is nothing superficial about the New York Times depiction of the Cojuangcos hogging politics and Hacienda Luisita. The people are not that naïve to not be able to determine just how Malacañang was used by the Cojuangcos to serve their best interest. The clan’s indifference over the distribution of their claimed Hacienda Luisita among its farm workers is as discernible as the insensitivity of the Liberal Party on letting us swallow another Cojuangco minion – Sen. Noynoy Aquino. The part where Noynoy managed to go about the affairs of his cousin –Fernando Cojuangco whom the senator claimed was aggravated by political white wash and misguided journalism is enough proof for the public to rethink LP’s offered “reform”.

The true story beneath the lavish talks of presidentiable Noynoy Aquino on Cojuangco family extending the distribution of land to make sure that the farmers get clean-slate of land titles free from debts is that the Cojuangcos have obviously exploited the land to its inutile state. Don Jose Cojuangco who bought the 6,400 hectare azucarera using loaned public fund from the Central Bank of the Philippines (CBP) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) back in 1958 has made quite a hole on the land reform and grants system when he lied about the existence of the 100,000 azucarera residents inside the Luisita estate that should have rightfully owned the land during the 1980s. The only obvious failure of the 1986 Edsa People Power would be the continued land struggle in Hacienda Luisita. Former Pres. Cory Aquino’s administration ended dictatorship but it helped breed deafening abuses against toiling farm workers on the Cojuangcos very backyard.

Noynoy promising Hacienda Luisita in five years right about the time before he steps down the presidency once he get elected is another iconic rundown of Cojuangcos intentional deceit and misuse of authority over the Luisita farmers’ affairs. In fact, others see this as an understatement in which Noynoy is trying to bait the azucarera over votes. He is only making a fool of the Luisita farmers; again; making these farmers’ believe that their only hope of getting their piece of land is by giving Noynoy Malacañang. Just like the rotten power thug between different social classes in the country that involves the well-off and the deprived who are under their paychecks, the Cojuangcos through Noynoy will soon be able to turn the tables once and again on the rightful allocation of Luisita. That is, by taking a look back at how the Cojuangcos managed to stall the division of the azucarera through Cory’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in 1988.

Blood runs thicker than politics, and for Noynoy, blood is foremost valuable than honest and impartisan governance. Philippine politics is so prone to familial dynasty-ism that most of the time families pay interests on running for various public offices for the benefit of either business or control. This is the exact same thing that fuels Noynoy’s presidency. It had always been for the advantage of the Cojuangcos who nearly faced the people’s tribunal after the 2004 Luisita massacre and the persistent prostitution of farm workers’ rights. Furthermore, it is disgusting to see Noynoy being overprotective of his affluent cousins as he himself had not done much in the years he served in the legislature.

NOYNOY: DENY, DENY UNTIL YOU DIE

There is no way around the problem but to deny ever saying such revealing statement. This was the scene that most likely transpired between Liberal Party standard bearer Noynoy Aquino and his cousin, Fernando Cojuangco, chief operating officer of the Hacienda Luisita, in their haste to neutralize the effects of the latter’s claim that their family has no plans of ever giving up their rights to the 10,000 acre land.

In Noynoy’s mind, Fernando’s slipup would most assuredly wreck his current standing in the presidential race and would only prove his duplicity on matters pertaining to agrarian reform - thus the immediate need to employ a stop-gap measure such as the much used “taken out of context” excuse our politicians often resort to and have clearly mastered.

However, the issue at hand is no longer just about the Hacienda Luisita wrongfully remaining in the hands of the landed Cojuangcos - despite past public posturing from Noynoy to do otherwise - but the fact that the unico hijo of Ninoy and Cory is ready to put the blame on another person which is in this case, his cousin. Despite his assurance that Fernando is of sound upbringing like himself, he still insinuated that his cousin was not careful enough to guard his words and has caused much damage to Noynoy’s public image.

He is not yet the president but he is already giving us a glimpse of him lording over us – his future fiefdom – with much aristocracy that is only expected and natural from a haciendero like him. It is also obvious that Noynoy can definitely lie through his teeth. We also got a peek of what was to come under Noynoy’s leadership and that is, the law is applicable to everyone, everyone but him and his family; a fact that was already practiced during his mother’s term – proven by the undistributed hacienda – and that he has long forgotten or omitted from his campaign speeches and public interviews.

To obtain the 10,000 strong votes of the very farmers whom their family have fooled into accepting the transformation of Hacienda Luisita into a corporation and contenting themselves as stock holders, Noynoy and his political backers intentionally gave lose hope and announced that the original beneficiaries will be awarded lands free and clear within five years, but only after all the debts of the HLI was settled. However, thanks to Fernando Cojuangco, the farmers now know better.

These are glorious words from a man whose only purpose is to clearly hoodwink the throng of farmers into shading his name in the upcoming elections. Is he now a peddler of lies?

Related story: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/183662/after-luisita-massacre-more-killings-linked-to-protest