Stop the Militarization in Hacienda Luisita! Justice for the Victims of Hacienda Luisita Massacre!
After the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Hacienda Luisita Massacre on November 16, 2024, farmworkers in Hacienda Luisita faced yet another series of surveillance and militarization. At noon of November 18, six suspected military personnel in civilian clothing, accompanied by Florida “Pong” Sibayan—a former leader of the farmers’ movement turned collaborator with state forces—visited the house of JV Bautista, a member of the Samahan ng mga Kabataang Demokratiko ng Asyenda Luisita (SAKDAL).
Earlier that morning, around 9 AM, a farmer leader in Asturias was also approached by members of the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army. The soldiers interrogated and questioned him about those who participated in the November 16 commemoration. Later, JV’s father was approached by the group, who claimed they wanted to speak with Bautista because he had been recorded on video by a military officer during the commemoration. Fearing for his safety due to the presence of “Pong” Sibayan and her companions, JV chose to leave rather than confront the group.
Florida “Pong” Sibayan, once the chairperson of the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA), is now a traitor to the farmers’ movement. She is currently working with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), where she has been instrumental in red-tagging farmers in Hacienda Luisita, further intensifying the military threats and intimidation that they face.
It has been two decades since the Hacienda Luisita Massacre, a grim chapter in the history of Filipino farmers. Under the directive of then-Labor Secretary Patricia Santo Tomás, police and military forcibly dispersed farmworkers’ unions using water cannons, gunfire, and vehicles. Seven individuals were killed, approximately 121 people—including elderly and children—were injured, and 133 citizens were arrested and detained. Up to this day, the farmers of Hacienda Luisita continuously demonstrate their collective strength in asserting their right to the land, which is why state forces are relentless in perpetrating violence with militarization and state agents to target their organized resistance. These actions ultimately serve the interests of landowners engaged in land grabbing, perpetuating injustice against farmers and the Filipino people in general.
With this, the Asia Pacific Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines vehemently condemns the recent harassment and militarization in Hacienda Luisita, perpetrated by the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IBPA) and Pong Sibayan. Abolish NTF-ELCAC that perpetuates and instigates human rights violations in rural and urban areas. Hands off JV Bautista and other peasant organizations and unions in Hacienda Luisita. We call for justice and demand accountability for those responsible for the Hacienda Luisita Massacre. We also appeal to international communities and human rights organizations to advocate for genuine agrarian reform in the Philippines. ###
#EndMilitarizationinHLI
#JusticeForHaciendaLuisitaMassacre
#AbolishNTF-ELCAC
#StopTheAttacks
#LandToTheTillers
#FightforGenuineAgrarianReform
