MANILA -- In time for the anniversary of the Hacienda Luisita Massacre on November 16, Anakpawis Representative Rafael Mariano challenged Presidentiable Senator Noynoy Aquino to make a stand on the land distribution issue in Hacienda Luisita.

Mariano said Aquino should scrap the two ultimatums given to the farm workers in Hacienda Luisita - one that tells them that they can only plant in their parcels of land until October 30, and another one that tells them they should register their lands on or before November 15.

“I don't want to tell him what he should do. But he should scrap the ultimatum released by the management that the farmers should register,” he said. “If they register, does this mean that the land will already be physically given to them?"

The militant lawmaker also said that whether Aquino runs for president or not, the farmers' struggle in Hacienda Luisita owned by the Cojuangco family will remain.

In response to Aquino's earlier statement that the Hacienda Luisita land distribution issue is being “politicized,” Mariano said the issue has been there long before Aquino announced his plans to run for president.

“We don't want to conclude whether it will have a direct relation (on his campaign) but if we talk about the sentiments of the farmer workers and farmers in Hacienda Luisista, maybe we have seen in previous elections that this issue did not just emerge the other. The history is very deep, the issue of social justice has long been there,” Mariano said. (Angela Casauay/Sunnex)