DAR raps 3 company execs for ‘illegal’ land conversion

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), through its Provincial Task Force on Illegal Conversion in Aklan, has endorsed to the chief provincial prosecutor last Oct. 17 a complaint-affidavit against officials of three companies for their alleged illegal conversion of a parcel of land in New Washington, Aklan in order to put up a five-megawatt power plant.

Named in the joint complaint-affidavit submitted by lawyer Daniel Martelino, provincial agrarian reform officer of Aklan, and five members of the Provincial Task Force on Illegal Conversion were Edgardo Bautista, president of Toledo Holdings Corp.; Danilo Narceda, vice president of Avon River Power Holdings; and Richard Divinagracia, manager of Ritrowil Enterprises Inc.

They were accused of violating Republic Act No. 6657.

The complaint alleged that Toledo Holdings Corp. did not secure a conversion order from the DAR to develop a 2.8-hectare agricultural land in Barangay Mabilo, New Washington town for industrial use as site of a power plant.

It added that the respondents had failed to comply with the cease-and-desist order, which Martelino issued in December 2004.

In its investigation, the task force found out that prior to the conversion, the land in question was an orchard, and that construction had been initiated even prior to an application for land use conversion.

According to the complaint, DAR records showed that the registered owners and developer of the subject land did not secure a conversion order from the DAR prior to the development.

This act, it said, "constitutes premature conversion of (an) agricultural land."