Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman yesterday reiterated that he was just doing his job when he installed 57 farmer beneficiaries in Hacienda Velez Malaga, La Castellana, and he does not believe he acted in contempt of court.

Mario Diaz, counsel of landowner Roberto Cuenca, on March 27 filed contempt charges against Pangandaman, DAR Undersecretaries Narciso Nieto and Jefrry Galan, regional and provincial agrarian reform officers Alexis Arsenal and Stephen Leonidas, Senior Supts. Reynaldo Rafal and Pedro Merced, Lt. Col. Jess Manangquil, 11th Infantry Battalion commander, and La Castellana police chief Regidor Alvarado before the Supreme Court.

Diaz said Pangandaman carried out the installation of the beneficiaries despite a case pending before the Supreme Court.

Pangandaman yesterday, however, said there were no legal impediments to the installation and they are ready to answer the charges filed by Cuenca.

Diaz, however, said the claim of Pangandaman was negated by a Supreme Court En Banc resolution dated March 15, ordering Arsenal and intervenor Task Force Mapalad to submit their comment on the pending petition filed by Cuenca.

As to accusations by Negros Occidental officials that he failed to coordinate with them before the installation, Pangandaman said he did not have the luxury of time to go around coordinating, as he had to do his job and that was to install the farmer beneficiaries. Presidential Adviser for Western Visayas Rafael Coscolluela said line agencies like the DAR entering the jurisdiction of local government units without informing or coordinating with the local officials would be a cause for concern, especially when what they do leaves the LGU with a problem later.

Coscolluela, who tried to help negotiate for a peaceful resolution at Velez Malaga before the installation, said he is hard put to seek a resumption of the negotiations with Cuenca considering that he has already filed contempt raps.

"I don't think we can resume negotiations, it might be healthier for the Supreme Court to settle contempt raps first," he said.

Coscolluela also said he has no idea what the DAR plans to do now.

Pangandaman said the installation of the rest of the beneficiaries on the 114 has. at Velez Malaga will depend on a ruling on an exclusion, inclusion petition pending before the DAR regional office.

Of the 122 identified beneficiaries for the 114 has. the DAR installed 57 acknowledged by the opposing farmer groups at Velez-Malaga as original tillers of the land. The opposing farmer beneficiaries claim many of the beneficiaries to be installed on the 144 has. who are members of the Task Force Mapalad are not original tillers of the land.

Coscolluela said that when President Gloria Arroyo came to Negros in February, Cuenca asked him to take up his concerns with her, and she, in turn, asked him to discuss the problem with Pangandaman.

Pangandaman then asked him to negotiate with the land owner for a peaceful installation, Coscolluela said, but two offers made by Cuenca were turned down by the TFM representatives.

In exasperation Cuenca in his third offer was willing to give up the entire property provided government pay him P25 million for his entire standing crop and that qualified beneficiaries from opposing farmers groups be installed all at the same time through the equitable division of the property, Coscolluela said.

Coscolluela said he conveyed the offer of Cuenca to DAR but before he could get an answer, Pangandaman came to Negros to conduct the installation so negotiations at that point totally collapsed.*CPG .

back to top