Zero installation record, very low land distribution, cowardice in the face of resisting landowners, and bowing to pressure frominfluential officials, all resulting in very poor implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
These are some of the accusations hurled by the peasant federation Task Force Mapalad (TFM) against Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Nasser Pangandaman and his Undersecretary for Field Operations Narciso Nieto.
"Pangandaman and Nieto are the two most important DAR officials in terms of ensuring the implementation of CARP at field level. Unfortunately, these two officials have practically done nothing despite their numerous pronouncements about fast tracking land distribution and the installation of farmer-beneficiaries who have been holding titles for years," TFM president Jose Rodito Angeles said.
TFM made the statement as top officials of DAR throughout the country gather in Davao City for a three-day assessment of CARP accomplishments last year.
"Contrary to usual practice, DAR until now has not made any official announcement about how many hectares of land it has distributed last year. We will not be surprised if DAR fails to meet its measly target of 100,000 hectares. If it reports accomplished target, we have reason to assume that it is doctored and padded," Angeles said.
He added that in terms of installation of farmer-beneficiaries who have been holding certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) for years, DAR under Pangandaman has zero record.
"Pangandaman and Nieto have not exerted efforts to install the thousands of CLOA holders in the land already awarded to them. Their orders for installation are being ignored by local DAR officials, and they are not doing anything. At field level, the frustration of uninstalled FBs is growing," Angeles said.
He said that CARP implementation is particularly worst in Negros Occidental, where overall accomplishment is only 46 percent last year, with only 5,191 hectares of land acquired from the revised target of 15,314 hectares, which was finally reduced to 11,310 hectares.
In terms of regional accomplishment, Region VI, which includes the province of Negros Occidental, has the worst performance of only 66 percent, with only 13,366 hectares acquired.
"We are doubtful if the lands reportedly acquired in Region VI and in Negros Occidental have been distributed," Angeles said.
Angeles said that the reason for poor CARP implementation is Pangandaman's weak and indecisive leadership.
"He was afraid to confront landowners who resist CARP. Even when the law is clearly on the side of DAR, and even when the courts have decided in favor of the FBs, Pangandaman did not dare to act in favor of the FBs because he was too afraid of the landowners," he said.
Angeles also scored Nieto for joining Pangandaman in his cowardice. "Nieto only goes through the motion of issuing orders for installation of CLOA holders, but does nothing if the local DAR officials ignore his order. He is as boneless as Pangandaman," he said.
Angeles cited the case of Tuzon estate in Cagayan province where the local DAR officials recommended the cancellation of CLOAs instead of obeying his order to install the FBs.
Angeles also said that the 122 FBs in Hacienda Velez-Malaga in Barangay Robles, La Castellana, Negros Occidental have lost hope that they will ever be installed in their land with Pangandaman and Nieto at the helm of DAR.
"One day, the 122 FBs of Hacienda Velez-Malaga, who have been CLOA holders for four years, might decide to install themselves in their own land. If something untoward happens, the responsibility should rest with Pangandaman and Nieto," he said.
- Kilusan para sa Pagsulong ng Repormang Agraryo
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