Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman yesterday said his office is planning to install the 122 Task Force Mapalad agrarian reform beneficiaries on 144 hectares of land in Hacienda Velez-Malaga in Barangay Robles, La Castellana, next week.

TFM members have been staging a hunger strike in front of the DAR central office in Manila to protest what they have called the continued inaction of DAR on their demand for installation. For the past two years Pangandaman has promised to install the TFM beneficiaries on the land already awarded to them, so instead promising to act on the matter next week, TFM deputy coordinator Lani Factor said, "He should not say it, he should just do it", for them to believe him.

Pangandaman told the DAILY STAR the DAR wanted to sort out loose ends before installing the TFM beneficiaries to ensure their safety. "We have been trying to find a resolution that will allow for the peaceful installation of the farmers," Presidential Adviser Rafael Cosoclluela said.

In January TFM members attempted to self-install themselves on the land that led to death of farmer beneficiary Pepito Santillan and the injury of two others following a clash with other beneficiaries identified with landowner Roberto Cuenca, who are members of the Malaga Cuenca Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

The property of Cuenca was covered by CARP under the compulsory acquisition scheme in 1996, but he has managed to delay its implementation, TFM has claimed.

TFM has claimed that DAR screened and selected the qualified beneficiaries and Cuenca's active farm workers were invited to apply, but they refused.

In April 2002, DAR issued a collective CLOA for 144 hectares of the property in the name of 122 ARBs.

Sugar planter Cuenca, 66, said "I am not the problem, technically I no longer own the land."

He said what is being questioned is the manner in which the DAR identified the beneficiaries of the land.

He said many of the original workers of the farm were not included and those who were given a share of the land were placed in marginal areas.

On the other hand, the TFM members who, he said, he had not identified as the original farmers of the land, were identified by the DAR as beneficiaries and given choice pieces.

"It is not fair that the TFM members were given prime land while the original tillers were given bones," he said.

Factor said it was not TFM, it was the DAR who identified the beneficiaries and the areas to be awarded to them.

Cuenca said he has been for a win-win solution to the problem but the real farmer beneficiaries of the land should be included in the CLOAs and given their just share.

About 102 workers of Cuenca have been identified as farmer beneficiaries on about 301 hectares of land, Factor said.

But Cuenca said that of the 301 hectares, only about 188 hectares is planted to sugarcane because the rest of the area is hilly, unproductive land.

Cuenca said many of his workers were left out as agrarian reform beneficiaries on the pretext that they did not want to participate in the CARP but the fact is they did not know that the CLOAs were made by DAR, that is why they are aggrieved.

"I am losing my farm and I cannot protect my people, I only want what is just for them," he said.

There is still a legal impediment because there is still pending case in the Supreme Court en banc involving the Hacienda Velez-Malaga property, he said.

Cuenca said he has signed a proposed memorandum of understanding that would have provided a win-win solution the problem but it was never implemented by the DAR.

Under the MOU specific areas are identified for members of the cooperative and the non members to separate the operations of the two groups to ensure peace in the area, Cuenca said.

He denied the allegation of TFM that there are armed goons under his employ, all he has are security guards on the property.*CPG

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