The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has reported a significant decrease in land dispute cases after implementing reforms in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to expedite resolutions.
During the Malacañang Insider program aired on Thursday, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said that there was already a substantial caseload when President Marcos Jr.’s administration took over.
Some of the cases had been dragging on for up to two to three decades when President Marcos assumed office, he said.
“At dahil sa ang ginawa namin kami ay … we hired additional 63 lawyers by the way and we got all the cases altogether and found out which are already 30 years old, 20, 10. And I assigned people to look into it. Tiningnan iyong mga kaso,” Estrella said.
“Ang laki kung compared doon sa nakaraan, we are about 46 percent higher than their case resolved. Iyong case resolution rate namin ay napakataas. Ngayon itong taon na ito bumaba ang caseload. Ano ang ibig sabihin noon? Bumaba ang mga kaso na dumarating sa DAR,” he added.
The number of cases dropped significantly as the additional lawyers traveled to DAR’s regional offices to help mediate and settle land cases at the local level, Estrella said.
The settlement approach was patterned after the Katarungang Pambarangay, aimed at declogging the courts of cases.
“Pinattern (pattern) namin iyan eh para doon sa barangay, iyong lupon – para to declog the courts, mayroon na silang settlement doon,” Estrella said.
“Kaya sabi ko sa kanila, ‘Diyan na kayo sa mga region. Tingnan na ninyo para hindi dumami ang kaso. Kung kaya ninyong ayusin diyan, ayusin na ninyo.’ Kaya ang caseload na namin ngayon, mas mababa nang malayo kaysa doon sa nakaraan,” he explained.
One of the successful resolutions was the 30-year-old case of the Hacienda Tinang in Concepcion, Tarlac. DAR helped mediate between the two parties in the case, resulting in a settlement, he said.
Estrella also cited the cases of the Yulo King Ranch (YKR) Corp. in Busuanga, Palawan, and the Don Pedro Roxas case in Nasugbu, Batangas.
“Sabi namin, ‘Nagsisitanda na kayo, kung hindi pa kayo mag-usap-usap dito ay tatanda kayong pareho (na) kayong wala.’ Nag-agree naman sila. Oh iyan, walang nag-file from both sides ng motion for reconsideration or any appeal,” Estrella said of the case.
“Iyong mga ganoon ay utos ng ating mahal na Pangulo iyan, because we all subscribe to the saying that justice delayed is justice denied.” he added. PND
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