DAR asked to retain CARL beneficiaries in Batangas property

A farmers’ group has asked the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to revoke its order removing more than 1,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from Hacienda Roxas in Nasugbu, Batangas.

- Bella Cariaso

In a petition filed with the help of the Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra), the petitioners said the DAR order and a compromise agreement made on their behalf violated Republic Act 6657, or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law or CARL, as amended by RA 9700, or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reform or CARPER.

Sentra executive director Jobert Pahilga said that farmer-beneficiaries have been cultivating the land for years.

“It goes against the basic precepts of justice, fairness and equity to deprive them, through no fault of their own, of the land they till,” the petition read.