CLARK Freeport, Pampanga -- The Alyansa ng Manggagawang Magbubukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) and Alyansang Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL) assailed anew officials of the Cojuangco-controlled Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) for sowing continuous terror on farmers tilling their lands at the vast sugarcane plantation in Tarlac City.

On Monday, about 300 farmers were confronted with gunfires as they tried to dismantle the fences and barricades set up by HLI to prevent them from tilling their lands.

The fenced portion is part of the 180-hectare plantation already turned over by HLI to the Rizal Commercial and Banking Corp. as payment for a loan.

The said area was not included in the Supreme Court’s decision on Nov. 20, 2011, ordering the distribution of lands at the sprawling sugarcane plantation.

AMBALA chair Felix Nacpil said some 100 security guards of HLI backed by some 15 soldiers and 10 policemen clashed with the farmers, preventing them from dismantling the barricades.

“We were not cowed by gunshots as we did during the November 16, 2004 massacre,” Nacpil said.

He said the recent incident was part of the HLI management’s continuing acts to terrorize the farmers who called for the immediate and free distribution of lands at the hacienda.

Meanwhile, AMGL chair Joseph Canlas condemned the incident and described it as another attempt of the Cojuangco-Aquinos to use government forces under the command of President Benigno Aquino to block full land distribution the hacienda.

Canlas said the Aquino government is using the police and military as their private armed group to protect their Cojungco-Aquino property and repress the farmers’ struggle for their rights.

“The President keeps on lambasting Corona and at the same time neglecting the decision of the Supreme Court for the 4,915-hectare agricultural lands to be distributed to the farmers-beneficiaries at the hacienda,” Canlas said.

AMBALA said HDI management has militarized the vast plantation by putting up military detachments in the area since 2005.