Nullification of Arao land deal sought
BACOLOD CITY — Provincial Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (PARAB) Adjudicator Atty. Isagani Cuello confirmed yesterday that five residents of Purok Arao, Barangay Estefania had filed a complaint for CARP coverage on the lot recently acquired by the city government.
The complainants sought for the issuance of the temporary restraining order (TRO) over the acquisition of 58 hectares lot intended for the city’s relocation site and also sought for the nullification of the deed of absolute sale entered into by Nellie Antigua et al and the City of Bacolod represented by Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
The five complainants, namely, Elsie Guanco, spouses Alan Cuyos and Ma. Fe Cuyos, Alteo Perez, and Antonio Perez Jr. claimed that they are the potential beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) on Hda. Maria Arao owned by the defendant landowners consisting of agricultural lands devoted to sugarcane.
Based on the complaints, it is stated that “since time immemorial, the subject properties have been actually devoted and dominantly used for agricultural purposes and remains as such, up to the present.” The complainants also allege that their forefathers and family members have worked or are still working in the hacienda and have taken residence within or around its premises.
The five complainants claimed that the defendant landowners are absentee landowners who have not applied for the retention of their landholdings as they have been residing outside Bacolod City and Negros Occidental where the property is located and have leased the properties to a certain Jun De La Paz.
Recently it came to their knowledge that the defendant landowners have entered into a Deed of Absolute Sale dated January 12, 2010 covering the above properties in favor of Bacolod City Government. They insisted that the deed of sale is null and void for being a clear violation of Republic Act No. 6657 as amended by Republic Act 9700 relative on the retention limit set by the Department of Agrarian Reform.
They also asked PARAB to render judgment, placing the properties under the coverage of the CARP and to include the complainants as CARP beneficiaries of said landholding. Atty. Cuello of PARAB will hear on Friday the application of TRO sought by the complainants.
