20 farmers face probe for selling CARP lands

CEBU - The provincial office of the Department of Agrarian Reform has endorsed to the DAR Adjudication Board 20 disqualification cases against beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program for violating the agrarian reform law.

Lawyer Rosalio Quintanar, PAR adjudicator, said DAR prohibits any activities that would defeat the purpose of the program and the 20 beneficiaries allegedly illegally sold the lands given to them.

Some of the lands are in Carcar City, Naga City, Toledo City and Sibonga town.

Under the agrarian reform law, the sublease, mortgage and sale of land awarded to CARP beneficiaries are grounds for disqualification from the program.

Once the violation is proven, the beneficiary’s Certificate of Land Ownership Award shall be held void.

Lawyer Alvin Arante, chief of the Legal Assistance Division of the provincial agrarian reform office, said the sale of the awarded land would leave farmers landless, thus would defeat the purpose of CARP.

Arante admitted there are many cases wherein the beneficiaries sell their lands to have extra cash, however, he warned that the illegal sale of CARP land would only inconvenience the buyer because once the sale is proven, the land’s title would immediately be cancelled and the buyer could not appeal for it.

To avoid cases like this, Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer II Stephen Leonidas advised buyers to get clearance from DAR before they enter into a transaction.

Conversion of land into a non-agricultural use rejects CARP’s objective of maximizing the agricultural productivity of the land for food security.

Under CARP, farmer beneficiaries have the responsibility to enhance the agricultural productivity of their land. CARP mandates that farmer beneficiaries should for amortization for 30 years.

CARP was intended to maximize the agricultural productivity of the land to help farmers lift their economic status, develop self-reliance and to be of help in strengthening the country’s food security.–Jessica Ann Pareja/JMO (THE FREEMAN)