THE Sumilao farmers found an ally in former officials of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) who called on their former colleagues on Wednesday to “uphold the letter and spirit of the rules on [land] conversion.”

Led by former agrarian-reform secretaries Florencio Abad, Ernesto Garilao and Jose Mari Ponce, the former DAR officials publicly threw their support to the Sumilao farmers in a news conference on Wednesday morning.

Abad, Garilao and Ponce urged all parties to look for various ways and means of exploring alternative modes of resolving the conflict so that all the stakeholders concerned would be able to find a win-win solution to the case, even though they said the farmers have the right over the contested property more than that of the buyer, who bought the land in bad faith.

They said in upholding the letter and spirit of the rules on conversion, the DAR officials, led by Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, will strengthen the institution and increase its legitimacy.

Along with former agrarian undersecretaries Hector Soliman, Gerardo Bulatao and Clifford Burkley and former director for legal affairs Ferdinand Casis, the three issued a statement urging Pangandaman to issue a cease-and-desist order while examining the merits of the case.

They said the Sumilao case, which stems from the complaint of former farmer-beneficiaries of the 144-hectare property in barangay San Vicente, Sumilao, Bukidnon, is based on the rules of the DAR. 

“A conversion order is given to an applicant as an exception to the general rule that agricultural lands should be covered by agrarian reform. And therefore, if the specifics of the conversion order are not complied with within the time frame of five years, then the property reverts back to the coverage of agrarian reform,” the statement said.

Moreover, Abad said the DAR should know that a piggery is inconsistent with “The Mindanao Center” envisioned by the Bukidnon Agro-Industrial Development Agency Project applied for by the Quisumbing family, which was approved by former Executive Secretary Ruben Torres.

“CARP is very rational. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was enacted to address inequities in the countryside that limit the potentials and opportunities of farmers to improve their economic conditions,” the former DAR officials said in a statement.

They stressed that based on studies and experiences, distributing lands to farmers and providing them with support services result in farmer-beneficiaries becoming “nonpoor.”

“These success stories show that when asset reform is addressed, economic development ensues.”

Workers, transport groups stage strike

MILITANT groups urged lawmakers to prioritize and pass bills calling for the repeal of the oil-deregulation law and the P125 wage increase or face widespread chaos.

PRESIDENT Arroyo on Wednesday granted a performance bonus for all state workers this year, citing the country’s “robust” economic growth and efficient government operations that led to savings in the national government.

THE Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Wednesday asked six civilians to explain their presence at the Peninsula Hotel in Makati City while the group of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV was staging a rebellion on November 29.

THE Pulse Asia survey on corruption was commissioned by antiadministration personalities as a means of throwing “body punches” at President Arroyo after failed attempts to unseat her, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

President Arroyo has directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to help bring down the prices of basic food items in line with the hunger-mitigation program of the government.

MEMBERS of the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) and Progresibong Alyansa ng Tagatangkilik ng Tubig sa Kamaynilaan (Pattak) brought holiday gift packages and Christmas lanterns as symbols of their protest against Manila Water Co. Inc.’s  (MWCI) proposal to increase rates by P14 per cubic meter starting January 1.

THE Sumilao farmers found an ally in former officials of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) who called on their former colleagues on Wednesday to “uphold the letter and spirit of the rules on [land] conversion.”

CLARK FREE PORT—America’s first World War II hero in the Pacific was honored with a memorial inaugurated on Monday at this free port near the site where he died in a gallant effort to save his crew and his aircraft.