Clark farmers seek compensation from CIAC

Indignant members of the CABCOM Farmers Multi Purpose Cooperative Inc. cultivating the lands in the aviation complex have asked the state-run Clark International Airport Corporation to pay their “just compensation.”

Some 117 members of the Clark farmers were seeking compensation of P50,000 per hectare in the last five years.

“Ang hinihingi po namin ay isang maliit na bagay lamang. Sana po sundin po natin kung ano po ang ipinag uutos ng batas. Ang sinasabi po ng korte kami pong mga magsasaka ay hindi nila puedeng paalisin at pinapatigil po nila ang ano mang harassment sa amin,” said farmer Daniel Dizon, head of the farmers’ cooperative.

“Isa po sa mga farmers na nakapaloob sa aming kooperatiba bigla na lamang nilang sinuyod ang lupa na sinasaka na wala pong nangyayaring negosasyon sa gitna ng kooperatiba at ng CIAC,” said Dizon.

Sky Trooper, a locator in the Clark Aviation Complex, reportedly started its clearing operations for the development of its site.

“Ang hinihingi lamang po namin ay isang mapayapang negosasyon. Kung kinakailangan po ng gobyerno ang lupa na sinasaka namin ay ibinibigay po namin ng dalawang kamay iyan,” according to Dizon. “Hindi po kami tumututol at hinihingi po namin na ibigay nila ang aming karapatan.”

JUST COMPENSATION. Members of the CABCOM Farmers Multi Purpose Cooperative Inc. stage a lightning rally at the Clark Aviation Complex to protest the harassment to one of their members. The farmers also seek compensation for the lands they cultivate. -- Photo by Deng Pangilinan
JUST COMPENSATION. Members of the CABCOM Farmers Multi Purpose Cooperative Inc. stage a lightning rally at the Clark Aviation Complex to protest the harassment to one of their members. The farmers also seek compensation for the lands they cultivate. — Photo by Deng Pangilinan

“Kami pong mga magsasaka dito ay hindi lumalaban sa gobyerno. Kami po ay tumutulong sa gobyerno. Ang mga magsasaka po dito ay ininvite po ni dating President Ferdinand Marcos noong 1982 para po linisin ang dapat linisin at taniman ang dapat taniman,” said Dizon.

“Kami po ay namumuhay ng payapa. Dumating po ang Clark Development Corporation ginulo po nila ang mga magsasaka na dinatnan nila dito sa Clark,” said Dizon.

Dizon said the Court of Appeals in Manila had decided the farmers should stay in the agricultural lands. “Nagdesisyon po ang Court of Appeals Manila na hindi nila kami puedeng paalisin.”

The contested area is now in the territorial jurisdiction of the CIAC which has already shelled out millions of pesos several years ago to “buy peace” in the area once tilled by the former farmers.

Dizon flayed the latest harassment against their member. The CABCOM farmers tilled the former US-run Clark Air Base since 1982 when the CABCOM opened the lands to the farmers.

The Marcos administration included the Clark farmers to the KKK-Green Revolution Program while during the administration of the late President Cory Aquino, they were accredited by the Land Bank who gave them loans since they were acknowledged by the Pampanga Agrarian Reform Office (PARO) as legitimate farmer-beneficiaries.

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