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It has been 13 years but no one has been brought to justice for the deaths of seven people in a clash between striking workers of Hacienda Luisita and policemen and soldiers ordered to retake the gate of the sugar mill in 2004.
In 2005, former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez dismissed the charges filed against Aquino, then a Tarlac representative, citing insufficiency of evidence.
The charges involved multiple murder, multiple frustrated murder, multiple attempted murder, murder, physical injuries, theft and malicious mischief that arose from the shooting and killing of Jaime Pastidio, Jhaivie Basilio, Adriano Caballero, Jessie Valdez, Jesus Laza, June David and Juancho Sanchez on Nov. 16, 2004.
On Dec. 10, 2010, an Ombudsman division absolved military and police officials of similar charges.
“[The Ombudsman] said the gunmen were not identified. There was no basis to believe that the seven workers shot themselves or that they were shot dead by their fellow striking workers,” Pahilga told the Inquirer by telephone on Wednesday.
In October 2014, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales turned down Sentra’s motion to reopen criminal and administrative cases against Aquino, former Armed Forces chief of staff, Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, former Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, former Labor Undersecretary Manuel Imson and sheriff Francis Reyes.
Aquino’s uncles and Hacienda Luisita owners Pedro and Jose Cojuangco, Ricardo and Jose Manuel Lopa, and Central Azucarera de Tarlac (CAT) executive Ernesto Topacio were also subjects of the complaint. Pedro Cojuangco died in 2014.
It was only in November 2014 when a report from the National Bureau of Investigation about the clash was made public.
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