The lawyer of landowner Roberto Cuenca yesterday warned that legal action will be taken against Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman if he insists on installing 122 farmer beneficiaries on 144 hectares in Hacienda Velez-Malaga in Barangay Robles, La Castellana, today.

But Pangandaman yesterday told the DAILY STAR the DAR will definitely go ahead with the installation as there are no longer any legal impediments, contrary to the claim of the lawyer.

Panagandaman refused to divulge when the installation will be but a source said he is arriving in Negros this morning to oversee the installation of the Task Force Mapalad farmer-beneficiaries.

Keep peace at all costs
at Malaga, PNP ordered
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

The Philippine National Police will abide by the instructions of the Department of Agrarian Reform on the Hacienda Velez-Malaga, Brgy. Robles, La Castellana, controversy.

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, yesterday said they will follow whatever are the orders of DAR, being the "main actor" in the implementation of CARP. Gov. Joseph Marañon yesterday said he has instructed Franco to maintain peace and at all costs.

Mario Diaz, counsel of landowner Roberto Cuenca, in his letter to Franco, said " we plead you to observe and respect the lawful order of the court", referring to the Writ of Preliminary Injunction preventing installation issued by the La Carlota City Regional Trial Court Branch 63, sustained by the Court of Appeals, which is now pending before the Supreme Court.

Gloria: More cities
won't hurt IRA share
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo assured the members of the League of Cities of the Philippines that the recent conversion of 13 towns into cities will not affect their existing Internal Revenue Allotment, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leenardia yesterday said.

Leonardia said one of the reasons they were called to Malacañang Tuesday is that the mayors were complaining about the conversion of the 13 towns into cities. The city mayors had always objected to this for obvious reasons, he said, and the President has been aware of the rumblings of the mayors since it will affect their IRA share substantially.

Leonardia said Davao, for example, which is so very big, will lose about P200 million of its IRA as a consequence of the conversions of these new cities. That means Bacolod is also to lose a very substantial amount, he said.