The legal officer of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for Southern Negros said Monday that the department will proceed with the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) on the property owned by Yanson siblings Roy, Celina, Ricardo Jr., and Emily, who are also known as the Y4, in Hinobaan, Negros Occidental.
The property formerly owned by the family of Benjamin Perigua covers 35 hectares – 24 hectares belong to the Y4 while 11 hectares is owned by Yanson matriarch Olivia and children Leo Rey and Ginette Dumancas.
Atty. Rolando Lava said DAR will proceed with the implementation based on an order from the DAR central office but will only cover the property under the Y4 because they did not express any opposition.
He said it will not include the 11 hectares under Olivia and siblings Leo Rey and Ginette because the three has a pending appeal with the Office of President for exclusion from the program alleging the property is residential.
Perigua met with Lava at the DAR office Tuesday in the presence of the media and complained that no one attended to him every time he shows up in the office.
Lava, on the other hand, said they always tend to whoever goes to their office for their concerns unless there are prior schedules and commitments.
Perigua said he was acting on behalf of the beneficiaries who have waited for their land for more than a decade.
Lava said with the order being final and executory, the DAR personnel in Hinobaan will start identifying the property and the beneficiaries.
(Dolly Yasa via The Daily Guardian, photo courtesy by Sunstar)