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MANILA—Vice presidential hopeful Walden Bello on Tuesday said he would complete the redistribution of land to farmers if he were elected in the 2022 elections.

During the commemoration of the violent dispersal of protesters at Hacienda Luisita in 2004 that killed 7 farmers, Bello also pledged to stop measures that went against agrarian reform.

• SC says Hacienda Luisita has 'fully complied' with distribution of land sale proceeds

“We must complete the land redistribution of 700,000 hectares of land. We need to stop ‘yung agrarian counter reform kung saan binabawi ‘yung mga lupain ng mga haciendero. Napakahalaga rin dito sa aming programa ‘yung repeal of the Rice Tarrification Act which is one of the major causes of the misery of our farmers,” Bello told reporters.

(We need to stop the agrarian counter-reform where the lands of the hacienderos are being reclaimed. It is important to repeal the Rice Tarrification Act, which is one of the major causes of the misery of our farmers.)

“Itutuloy namin itong (We will continue the) transformation of the countryside for the benefit of our farmers. We will not stop until we have full and effective agrarian reform in the Philippines.”

Present in the online launch are vice presidential aspirant @WaldenBello and senatorial hopeful Luke Espiritu. #Halalan2022 | @ABSCBNNews

— Josiah Antonio (@josiahvantonio) November 16, 2021

Meanwhile, labor leader and senatorial aspirant Atty. Luke Espiritu stood in solidarity with the victims of the so-called Luisita massacre.

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“Sa mga ganitong pagkakataon na kapag kanilang property rights na ang pinag-uusapan alam na alam natin na hindi sila magkalaban. Sila’y magkakaparehong kulay, kahit magkakaiba sila ng kulay ng campaign t-shirt — mayroong pula, mayroon pink, mayroong kung ano pang kulay — sila’y magkakasama,” Espiritu said.

(In cases where their property rights are the issue, we know very well they are not adversaries. They are of the same color, even if their campaign shirts are different — red, pink or whatever color. They are united.)

“Magkakampi ang magsasaka at ang mga mangaggawa at ang kalaban ay ang mga elite. Nararapat lang na i-emphasize ito dahil hindi ito gustong makita nu’ng mga elite lalo na sa panahon ng halalan.”

(The peasant and the workers are on the same side and the opponent are the elites. It is only right to emphasize this because the elites do not want to see this, especially during the election.)

Bello said the Luisita violence was a testament to “tragedies inflicted on peasants” rooted in the issue of land reform.

“ ’Yung Hacienda Luisita massacre, isang example ’yan nu’ng maraming mga nangyari sa kanayunan. Maraming namatay sa Mendiola massacre ay mga mambubukid. Itong mga tragedies had been inflicted on peasants had been throughout our history,” the scholar said.

(The Hacienda Luisita massacre is an example of what has been happening in the countryside. Also, many of those who died in the Mendiola massacre were peasants. These tragedies inflicted on peasants have been happening throughout our history.)

“The largest portion of workers in our country is still earning from agriculture pero nakalimutan na sila, iniwan na sila (they've been forgotten, left behind). Kasi ’yung (It’s because) agrarian reform was not fulfilled and only not agrarian reform was not fulfilled the government of [Rodrigo] Duterte passed the Rice Tarrification Act,” he added.

Together with presidential aspirant Leody De Guzman, Bello promised to highlight the plight of farmers in their platforms.

“Ibabalik namin sa eksena, ibabalik namin ’yung focus sa mga (We will make this relevant again, we will put the focus back on) major issues confronting the country, including the tragedy of agrarian reform, the tragedy of rice tarrification, and the tragedy of the massacres of our peasants and workers,” Bello said.

“Gagawin po naming itong campaign na ito habang ang mga elitista gagawin nilang campaign of personalities. Sinasabi namin ni Ka Leody [De Guzman] at ni Ka Luke [Espiritu], hindi na pwede ’yung politikang ganyan. Tumutok sa mga isyu. Ipapakita natin na maski magkakaiba sila ng personalidad magkakasama itong mga kaaway namin itong mga kalaban namin sa pulitika sa interes na tinutulak at pinoprotektahan nila.”

(Our campaign will focus on issues, while the elitists’ campaign will be about personalities, which we won’t stand for anymore. Focus on the issues. We will show that, even though our opponents have different personalities, they are one in the same when it comes to the interests they are protecting.)

Bello is an adjunct professor of sociology at the State University of New York at Binghamton, according to Laban Ng Masa.

He substituted Raquel Castillo as Partido Lakas ng Masa's vice presidential bet for the May 9, 2022 elections.

The former lawmaker is among the nearly 30 vice presidential aspirants that also include Dr. Willie Ong, Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, Sen. Tito Sotto, and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

The list will be trimmed in the coming weeks to remove those deemed nuisance candidates.

The official campaign period for national position candidates will start only on February 8, 2022.