Although Teresita Depeñosa has assumed office as the new provincial agrarian reform officer, the United Municipal Agrarian Reform Officers Association of Negros Occidental joined other sectors in denouncing the sudden transfer of PARO Stephen Leonidas to the regional office in Iloilo.

Like the DAR employees union, UMANO also linked the reassignment of Leonidas to the ongoing land distribution conflict in Hacienda Velez-Malaga in La Castellana.

In a manifesto, signed by agrarian officers in the province, the group assailed the propriety of the transfer of Leonidas stressing that the latter was made a "scapegoat" by the high ranking officials of DAR.

UMANO members said Leonidas was always put in a dilemma as to whom to follow as he took orders and instructions from various Assistant Secretaries and Undersecretaries who verbally gave different, varying and conflicting views, advices and opinions. The group maintained that the order of Secretary Nasser Pangandaman to transfer Leonidas from Negros denied him administrative due process.

The municipal agrarian reform officers said they believe that Leonidas is a competent, strong willed and reliable public official whose integrity is beyond reproach. Meanwhile, PARO Depeñosa called on her co-workers in DAR to work with her to achieve the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program target in the province by 2008. She said their mandate is to finish the implementation of CARP, deliver support services and agrarian justice to beneficiaries in contentious areas.*NAB

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