Hope Arises For Sumilao Farmers
Written by Major Tom
Filed under: Philippine Politics
December 7, 2007
Even without the prodding of a dear blog friend in Schumey, I would have notice it just the same. Last night, the issue on the plight of the Sumilao marchers were all over the news and with the involvement of important entities like Ateneo de Manila University, this protest march becomes not just another protest from farmer-beneficiaries supposedly qualified to be privileged under the government’s agrarian reform.
The Sumilao Marchers’ case contains a very painful circumstance where lands that have already been previously distributed were taken away by virtue of a reversal of judgment by none other than the Supreme Court of this nation, and involving such finality after the Department of Agriculture, the main agency who is supposed to protect and bolster the interest of farmer-beneficiaries under CARP, have failed and have been neglectful in motioning for a consideration, thus resulting to the cancellation of certificates of ownership that were already previously issued. It’s a painful situation we got here. Taking away what already have been given. Losing what was already gained.
The land involved here is the 144-hectare property owned by certain Norberto Quisumbing, which in 1994 was distributed to 165 Sumalio farmers in Bukidnon after then DAR Secretary Ernesteo Garilao denied the conversion application by Quisumbing.
This DAR distruibution order was then challenged before the Office of The President and thereon it was decided that conversion was allowed and when DAR lapsed in challenging this decision by Malañang, the Supreme Court ruled with finality that the certificates issued to the Sumilao farmers be revoked, making way for conversion.
11 years hence, no conversion had occurred and in fact, the land in question was sold to San Miguel Corporation in 2002—in clear violation of the conversion plan approved by the Office of The President. With this very clear and blatant violation of the conversion plan in question, hopes now arises for the Sumilao farmers, citing such failure of the condition for the exemption from CARP coverage of the Quisumbing property, and without the realization of the conversion plan, the farmers may bring this up with the appropriate legal venue, along with a new issue, separate from the one or ones decided with finality by the Supreme Court, this time bringing to issue such failure of condition precedent.
With this, I hope the Sumilao farmers would get proper and sufficient legal representation in bringing up this issue. And may they succeed.
Read more of the Sumilao Farmers’ case at Gary Lazaro’s blog.
grabe ang dami ko nang namimiss… with 10Pm-6Am hospital shift and 3-10PM academic sked… grabe.
Comment by Mon — December 8, 2007 @ 1:27 pm
Sige lang, pasyensya na muna. After that, you’ll have all the time in the world.
Comment by Major Tom — December 8, 2007 @ 2:37 pm
Anyway, who sold the land to SanMig? They should be answerable to all that. Hayyy, I hope walang padulas yun. At maraming maibulgar. It must have been someone who received a fat wad of cash from SanMig huh?
I hope they’ll find the scumbugs who did this. Some people must know this. Someone must have signed the deed of sale. Yun, hanapin yung taong/grupong yun.
Comment by ipanema — December 9, 2007 @ 9:48 am
Thanks, bro. I will add this to the list of bloggers who have given the farmers a voice in cyberspace.
Comment by Schumey — December 9, 2007 @ 10:57 pm
I wonder what will happen now…
Comment by Sidney — December 10, 2007 @ 6:50 pm
Fishy fishy… Big fish feasting on little fish.
Such a sad reality here. Hope it works out for the farmers in the end.
P.S. Got back to blogging in a new domain.
Comment by Alternati — December 10, 2007 @ 10:52 pm
The land reform program championed by the Marcos administration during the “New Society” regime was, at best, an exercise in futility. Vested interests from the side of the government, the business sector and the wealthy landowners had resulted in a free for all game it seems
Comment by bw — December 11, 2007 @ 4:15 am
TO IPANEMA: It was the landowner himself, Norberto Quisumbing, the one who had applied for conversion despite that the land in question had already been adjudged for re-distribution. For certain, the highest court would see this patent discrepancy.
Comment by Major Tom — December 11, 2007 @ 6:48 pm
TO SCHUMEY: With the amount of attention this issue has gotten, it would be so nice and worthwhile if this would end so well. Maybe GMA could redeem herself thru this—somehow.
Comment by Major Tom — December 11, 2007 @ 6:50 pm
TO SIDNEY: Maybe Malacañang could on it and prove its sincerity to serve the people.
Comment by Major Tom — December 11, 2007 @ 6:52 pm
Really fishy smell all over because of this seemingly improper adjudication of a CARP case, one where there’s no denying that politicking and manipulation through misuse of influence had occured.
By the way, i am so glad that you are back with a roar—a great new look at that.
Comment by Major Tom — December 11, 2007 @ 6:56 pm
TO BW: The thing is, the CARP law becomes all the more difficult when the landed are the ones exercising power at any given time. There’s a great irony behind this…
Comment by Major Tom — December 11, 2007 @ 7:00 pm
I hope something auspicious happens for the farmers.
Comment by eric — December 12, 2007 @ 8:25 am
To eric: I have the same sentiment too Eric. If the present administration could do something about this, it would be a major plus points.
Comment by Major Tom — December 12, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
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Comment by craig — December 17, 2007 @ 11:06 am
Hypocrites!
You think that it’s perfectly fine for a man to deflower a thousand virgins and to leave them to become prostitutes in order to support their children but as soon as a man takes two women as his wives with their consent and the consent of their parents you want to commit the worst atrocity that can be committed against any man, steal his children!
Your attitude is rooted in a deep hatred for Jews and the laws of the Bible that govern marriage.
Repent!
Comment by Pastor Don Milton — May 2, 2008 @ 7:04 am