Friday, July 13, 2007 Discrepancies found in list of Negros Occidental ARBs By Antonieta B. Lopez
DISCREPANCIES in the list of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) bolstered efforts by the Negros Occidental Provincial Government to call for the review and audit of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp) implementation in Negros Occidental.
Data submitted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), which spearheads the ongoing Carp study, showed duplication of names of ARBs resulting to their having more than one Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs).
Some entries also showed alleged dubious names, the list indicated, a copy of which was obtained by the media Thursday.
Jose Ma. Valencia, chief of staff of Governor Joseph Marañon, said they believed that the number of ARBs in the province may have been bloated and once the list is validated, the actual number will definitely fall below the 114,000 beneficiaries that were officially reported by DAR.
“Once all data have been validated, the information will be submitted to Congress to support the position of the province that the Carp has failed and should not be extended beyond 2008,” Valencia stressed.
In Calatrava alone, data showed that ARB Narciso Edmundo is a holder of 10 CLOAs in Barangay Marcelo while in some areas, farmers were listed with the same names but with different middle initials.
The list includes a certain Alfredo Estemoso in Barangay Winaswasan who appeared thrice but with different initials - D, M and T.
There are also cases of names spelled differently but with the same family name such as Wellington D. Onop and Wilinton C. Onop Jr. in Minapasok, Tirson and Tirso Canete in Winaswasan, Deolito and Diolito Purisima in Agpangi, Hilarion and Helarion C. Lumanog in Hilub-ang, Winefredo and Winefrido M. Delerio and Forperio Pasagnahin and Porferio Pasignajen also in Winaswasan.
Marañon has earlier stressed that while he is not against Carp, its implementation must be done according to the law and that the rights of both farmers and landowners should be respected.
He also said a review should be done before any attempt to extend Carp. His position has been unanimously supported by 31 local government executives in the province.
The mayors, particularly the Association of Chief Executives, have also been complaining of DAR’s failure to coordinate with local government units in the program implementation.
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