DAR, PCGG eye P4.5-B cronies’ wealth for CARP

The Department of Agrarian Reform and the Presidential Commission on Good Government have agreed to join forces in an effort to raise at least P4.5 billion in the next three years to ensure continued funding for the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza and PCGG chairman Haydee Yorac agreed in a meeting last Monday to form an inter-agency committee that would fast-track the recovery and sale of ill-gotten wealth belonging to the Marcoses and their cronies.

Under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, all receipts from assets recovered and from sale of ill-gotten wealth through the PCGG should form part of the Agrarian Reform Fund.

During the meeting, Yorac and the other PCGG officials informed the DAR that they were finalizing the list of sequestered assets up for bidding and privatization in the next three years.

The properties for public bidding include the Hans Menzi Compound (P46 million); Jose Campos Compound (P179 million); Wigwam Compound (P14 million) and Banaue Inn Compound (P6 million). All of these are located in Baguio City.

Those initially listed for privatization include the P2-billion Meralco "B" shares, and the Television Network IBC-13 and RPN-9.

The bidding for the substantial assets of IBC-13, estimated at P2 billion, however, was stopped by the Supreme Court through a temporary restraining order at the instance of an alleged claimant of 20 percent equity of the network.

Braganza, for his part, expressed gratitude to the PCGG for remitting its contribution to the Agrarian Reform Fund on time, saying such efforts ensured the unhampered implementation of CARP.

"We are glad that the PCGG remains our active partner as far as the agrarian reform program is concerned," the agrarian reform secretary said.

He noted that from 1988 to 1999 alone, the PCGG has remitted a total of P21.428 billion to the Bureau of Treasury for credit of the Agrarian Reform Fund.

Last year, the final statement of account submitted by the Bureau of Treasury reflected a total of P36.175 million remittance by the PCGG for the credit of ARF.

On the other hand, a preliminary statement of account for the period Jan. 2 to June 30, 2001, prepared by the Bureau of Treasury showed that the PCGG remitted a total of P353.979 million.

Braganza explained that his meeting with the PCGG officials was part of efforts to seek additional sources of fund for CARP and fast-track land acquisition and distribution.

He noted that for DAR to complete the agrarian reform program in seven years, it would need at least P117 billion to cover the costs of acquiring land and other operational expenses.

"This is part of the reforms we have implemented in DAR to ensure the speedy distribution of land to agrarian reform beneficiaries," Braganza said.

Another reform that Braganza instituted in DAR was the election of Task Force Salinlupa, a mechanism set up to integrate and rationalize the functions of all DAR bureau involved in land acquisition and distribution.