The 87 farmers named owners of 144 hectares of land in Hacienda Naval, Himamaylan City, must wait for the final decision on the cancellation case filed by the hacienda's former owner against their Certificate of Land Ownership Award before they can finally use their share of the land.

As soon as the Provincial Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board decides on the administrative case filed by Jomarie Javellana, the farmers can use the land awarded to them, Department of Agrarian Reform representative Ernesto Estanda said yesterday in a dialog between the beneficiaries, the DAR, Philippine National Police, and the Commission on Human Rights at the National Federation of Sugar Workers' office.

The dialog was set after the farmers held a picket at the Provincial Capitol Wednesday, asking the DAR, Gov. Joseph Marañon, and Rep. Ignacio Arroyo (Neg. Occ., 5th district) to intervene.

For now, the land owners can only use 30 hectares of the hacienda as part of a "compromise" between Javellana and the Naval Workers Association to avoid violence between the two parties. Only the 57 farmers who belong to NAWA, however, can use the specified area while the others who are with the former management cannot.

Estanda, chief of staff of Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Stephen Leonidas, said that if they will insist on giving the 144 hectares of land to the beneficiaries, the farmers will surely be harassed by Javellana's guards. He added that the agreement is needed to temporarily "buy peace" in the area.

"What will you do with the land if you get killed?" Estanda asked when an NSFW member insisted that the beneficiaries be installed and said that DAR is not doing its job. As soon as the final decision on the CLOA comes down, Estanda said "they will bulldoze whoever is claiming to be the owner there and install the farmers because they are the owners according to the law."

Negros Occidental Provincial Police Director Rosendo Franco, on the other hand, said that they are ready to maintain the peace and order in Hacienda Naval and protect the farmers within the 30 hectares of land allotted to them.

The farmers said, however, that they have agreed to compromise just to have a portion of land to use and feed their families.

Dominador Velasco, 72, one of the beneficiaries said that he expects to get half a hectare of land when the PARAB decides on their CLOA.

He added, however, that since their installation, many of his fellow farmers have been harassed by Javellana's guards.

"The guards either fire their guns or they burn the sugarcanes," Velasco, who has 10 children said. He added that many of them have resorted to catching shrimps from a river in their town to avoid violence and make ends meet.* PP

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