Duterte to landowners: Return land to farmers

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Duterte has told owners of sugarcane plantations to return to farmers the lands that have been placed under the agrarian reform program. 

Duterte issued the statement during a groundbreaking ceremony for the housing units for landslide victims on Friday afternoon.

The President said that while over 200 housing units would be distributed to landslide victims of Naga, Cebu, it would be equally important that they would also be given sources of livelihood like farming.

He said that owners of sugarcane plantations would be compelled to surrender the property.

Sugarcane and other agricultural landowners usually repurchase the property earlier turned over to farmers.

“I’d like to be frank with you all. The law during my presidency is really the law. Let go of those properties again. I will force you to surrender the property once someone complains,” the President said.  

Duterte said such practice is rampant in Negros Occidental and Central Luzon, including in Hacienda Luisita, which he described as the “greatest  aberration” in the country’s land distribution program.