The President's Men and Women: Former undersecretary accepts challenge to lead DAR

MANILA, Philippines - Virgilio de los Reyes was initially hesitant to accept the top position in the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Under his administration, the DAR will have to deal with the land distribution issue in the sugar estate Hacienda Luisita, owned by the family of President Aquino.

“I don’t want to be known simply as the secretary who used to be an undersecretary for legal affairs. Now, I also have to look at the other concerns of the department including the welfare of the employees,” said the 48-year-old De los Reyes.

De los Reyes was undersecretary under the administration of former DAR secretary Hernani Braganza who served during the early years of the Arroyo government. Braganza is now mayor of Alaminos, Pangasinan.      

Prior to his appointment, De los Reyes taught Business Law under the Masters in Business Administration program of De La Salle University in Manila.

In his speech during the turnover rites at the department, De los Reyes promised to treat Hacienda Luisita like an ordinary case.                

He said Mr. Aquino did not give specific orders concerning the Cojuangco-owned sugar estate.           

“It hasn’t changed, we have targets that we need to fulfill until 2014. Perhaps an additional task is to make sure that the three agencies – DAR, DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) DA (Department of Agriculture) – are in sync,” De los Reyes said.

The DAR has not acted on the Luisita case after the Supreme Court (SC) issued a temporary restraining order on the distribution of land in November 2004.

The Cojuangcos had appealed to the High Court the decision of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) revoking the stock distribution option (SDO), which gives farmer-beneficiaries shares of stock instead of parcels of land, and ordering the immediate distribution of the 5,000-hectare property in Tarlac.

“Though the case of Hacienda Luisita is pending at the Supreme Court, we will be addressing this issue. We will come out with options for the President on what can be done,” said De los Reyes.

He also promised to be transparent with farmer groups about the functions and problems of the agency.

“I will tell them the problems of the department, and make them partners in fulfilling the mandate, and the same goes with the landowners,” he said.