MANILA, Philippines - Sixty-eight farmer-beneficiaries in Negros Occidental are now official owners of a land previously owned by former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo after the registry of deeds finally registered a new title for the property.
The new title, Certificate of Land Ownership Award No. 00916859, for Hacienda Bacan, was registered in the names of the farmer-beneficiaries last Oct. 26 by registrar of deeds Romulo Gonzaga.
The property was placed under the coverage of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in 2001, and was acquired by the government in July 2008 after the Land Bank of the Philippines paid over P142 million in the name of Rivulet Agro-Industrial Corp., the registered corporate owner of the hacienda.
The CLOA covered 148 hectares of the total 157 hectares of the hacienda located in Barangay Guintubhan, Isabela town.
Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio Arroyo slammed the move to award the land to the tenants, saying the case is still being litigated before the Supreme Court (SC).
“This government is too much. It’s shocking how this government can confiscate property without due process of law,” he said. “How’s that possible when the property has not yet been transferred to the Republic of the Philippines?”
He said the CLOA cannot be given to the supposed beneficiaries until the SC resolves the matter with finality. – Rhodina Villanueva, Paolo Romero