DAR creates task force to investigate irregularities

MANILA, Philippines — Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary John Castriciones has ordered the creation of a task force that would look into reported irregularities in one of the agency’s regional offices.

The task force, he said, would come up with immediate resolutions to the concerns aired by farmers in Pampanga and Tarlac provinces.

“While we are investigating this case, we will re-survey the problematic lands, process your land titles and attend to your other concerns so that there will be no wasted time,” Castriciones said.

Earlier, the DAR held a dialogue with several farmer groups from the two provinces.

Volunteer Against Crime and Corruption regional head Pyra Lucas, who accompanied the farmers, alleged that there have been anomalies in the regional office that have delayed the awarding of the farmers’ land titles for a number of years.

The landholdings being questioned are located in Barangays Malonzo and Concepcion in Tarlac; Barangay Gutad in Florida, Pampanga; and Cabcom in Clark, Pampanga.

Castriciones assured the farmers’ groups that the administration would exhaust its resources to resolve all land problems, including those from the past.

Present at the dialogue were DAR Undersecretary for field operations Karlo Bello, Undersecretary for legal affairs Luis Pangulayan, regional director Homer Tobias and other agrarian reform officials.