Landowner Roberto Cuenca yesterday said that it was Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman and Task Force Mapalad who connived against him and his workers, contrary to claims of the National Democratic Front - Negros.

Priest-turned-rebel Frank Fernandez, in a statement issued by NDF-Negros, slammed what it claims to be collusion between Cuenca and the government through DAR, to stop the distribution of land to farmer beneficiaries in Hacienda Velez-Malaga, Brgy. Robles, La Castellana.

"The fact that I have personally filed contempt charges against Pangandaman, his two undersecretaries, police and military officials for violating not only my rights as the former landowner of Hacienda Velez-Malaga, but also the rights of my workers, makes this accusation totally false and baseless," Cuenca said.

Fernandez, in the NDF statement said the stubborn resistance of Cuenca showed the over-all opposition of the big land landlords, hacienderos of Negros led by Mike-Iggy Arroyo and the officials of Confed, NFSP and UNIFED against any form of land reform. Cuenca clarified that the fight he has been waging is not to resist the implementation of CARP, but to ensure that his workers will not be deprived of their rights to own the land that they have tilled for years, together with his family.

Cuenca added that the memorandum of agreement he had signed, waiving all his rights to the farm, as long as DAR ensures this will go to the original beneficiaries, still stands and has not been withdrawn..

The installation of TFM farm workers was pushed through only last month by Pangandaman, who bypassed not only once, but twice, local government units. This angered Governor Joseph Marañon and the Negros mayors who later called for his resignation.

Contrary to perception, Cuenca said, Hacienda Velez-Malaga has always been a peaceful community with farm workers not wanting for anything, including educational benefits for their children and profit-sharing, among others.

Whatever conflict exists now was caused by DAR's incompetence in listing down TFM allied farmers as beneficiaries of our land when they have never worked for us, he added.

Worse, Cuenca also said, TFM farmers were actually given prime portions of the property while their original tillers were relegated to the outskirts.*GPB

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