The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) today called on all social justice advocates to rally behind the farm workers of the Cojuangco-owned Hacienda Luisita as they prepare to bring their case against the stock distribution option (SDO) before the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court is scheduled on Aug. 18 to hear oral arguments on a 2003 petition by Hacienda Luisita workers and supervisors for the revocation of the SDO.

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today criticized the reported extension of the counter-insurgency program called “Oplan Bantay Laya” which human right watchdogs have blamed for the spate of extrajudicial killing under the Arroyo administration.

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today criticized the Aquino administration for “washing its hands” in the issue of the Value Added Tax on toll fees set to take effect on Monday. The group said that Malacanang’s reasoning that the VAT is an old law from the previous administration is unacceptable.

The previous government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo enacted a law that expands the coverage of the VAT to include oil, power and other services. The Bureau of Internal Revenue is pushing for the coverage of VAT on toll fees. Some lawmakers have opposed this saying that government services like toll ways should not be covered by the VAT. A petition is now pending before the Supreme Court asking it to issue a temporary restraining order on the implementation.

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) has urged the Office of the Solicitor-General (OSG) to be faithful to and uphold the existing government position on the revocation of the stock distribution option (SDO) scheme at the Cojuangco-owned Hacienda Luisita.

Bayan issued this call to the OSG a week before the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the 2003 petition filed by Hacienda Luisita farm workers and supervisors for the revocation of the SDO scheme, which was implemented in 1989 during the presidency of Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, mother of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

The announcement of Hacienda Luisita Inc lawyers that it will file a motion before the Supreme Court asking it to dismiss the case filed by farmers against HLI clearly shows the true intention of the so-called “compromise agreement” according to the umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.

“Straight from the horse’s mouth, the compromise agreement will be used as basis to have the pending cases before the Supreme Court dismissed. The sham settlement will be used to preempt the August 18 oral arguments and any possible ruling that will favor the farmers in the ongoing land dispute. The settlement was never meant to address the farmers woes,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.