Luisita official belies claim of worker

In the article titled “Audit of Hacienda Luisita firm runs late” (Across the Nation, Inquirer, 5/21/13), Lito Bais, chair of the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura, was quoted as making the following statement: “HLI (Hacienda Luisita Inc.) was not even present in the May 17 meeting and, in effect, the DAR (Department of Agrarian Reform) became its spokesperson and defender.”

This statement is totally false. Being the corporate secretary and duly authorized representative of HLI, I was personally present during the meeting on May 17, 2013, as well as in other previous DAR meetings held at the function room of the Maja Rica Hotel in Tarlac City. It was during the May 17 meeting  that the provincial agrarian reform officer (Paro) of Tarlac, Emmanuel Aguinaldo, brought up the written motion/manifestation filed by representatives of the United Luisita Workers Union, Ambala and other parties to disqualify two audit firms—Reyes & Tacandong Accounting Firm and the Manabat & San Agustin Accounting Firm—despite the fact that both had filed eligibility documents in the Department of Agrarian Reform; and to qualify the audit firm Ocampo, Mendoza, Lim & Leung Firm, which did not file any eligibility documents, as the firm that will audit the books of HLI on the P1.33-billion proceeds of the sale of the 500-hectare conversion lot and the 80.3-hectare SCTEx right-of-way.

Each of the parties was given the opportunity to comment on the motion/manifestation, and I personally manifested our oral opposition to this motion/manifestation during the meeting.

Since the parties failed to come to any agreement, the meeting was adjourned with Aguinaldo announcing that the matter will be brought to the attention of the agrarian reform secretary and the Supreme Court.

The minutes of this May 17 meeting, taken by the staff of the Paro like those of past meetings, will attest to my presence as HLI’s authorized representative during that meeting.

—EUFROCINIO C. DE LA MERCED JR.,

corporate secretary,

Hacienda Luisita Inc.