Farmers lock DAR office in Davao Norte

TAGUM, Davao del Norte — At least 500 farmers welcomed yesterday the visit of President Arroyo here by padlocking and taking over the provincial office of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Barangay Mankilam.

The protesting farmers, who were members of UNORKA- Mindanao farmer cooperative group, were apparently left out in the distribution of certificates of land ownership awards (CLOAS) that the President personally awarded to 346 farmer beneficiaries yesterday afternoon during a multi-sectoral assembly held at the nearby Davao del Norte Gym.

According to Raffy Vivas, one of the leaders of the protesting farmers, they started entering the DAR office at around 6 a.m. yesterday until they reached more than 500 and they ultimately padlocked the premises of the agrarian reform office. The farmers took advantage of the opportunity that the provincial government was celebrating the 35th founding anniversary of Davao del Norte and the employees were joining the parade along the main thoroughfares of Tagum City. Vivas said they would only vacate the DAR office if Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza would hold a dialogue with them.

Eric Cabanit, a leader of one of the farmer cooperatives involved in the protest, said they would sue the President if she continued with the distribution of the CLOAS which he said was anomalous and illegal since what were awarded were actually subject of an appeal before the office of the President. However, the President proceeded with the distribution of the CLOAS yesterday despite the protest of those who have not been included in the list of beneficiaries.

Davao del Norte provincial agrarian reform officer Pete Gumbao said at least 247 beneficiaries from various parts of the province and another 99 individuals from the neighboring Compostela Valley province were supposed to receive their CLOAS from the President yesterday.

"It is their right to hold protest," said Gumbao, explaining that the CLOAS that were distributed were subject to amendments should the pending appeal before the office of the President be resolved.

Among the CLOAS distributed yesterday were those of the Tagum Agriculture Development Co., Inc. (Tadeco) benefiting 3,400 agrarian reform beneficiaries and their cooperatives. Tadeco is owned by banana-magnate Antonio Floirendo, a staunch supporter of Mrs. Arroyo in Southern Mindanao.