The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has allegedly remained inactive for a decade on the land conflict in Hacienda Escolastica, Barangay Mabini, Cadiz City, which erupted into violence when security guards fired at Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs), injuring seven farmers on September 30.
City Mayor Bading Escalante slammed the agency on Thursday, October 2, saying DAR has dragged its feet for ten years without providing a clear solution.
He accused the agency of only giving lip service or promises without real implementation, leaving local officials caught between the landowner and the beneficiaries.
Despite repeated interventions, tensions continue, and both he and the Barangay Captain have exhausted their assurances while awaiting a final directive from DAR.
Escalante hoped that such violence should never happen again and urged the agency to finally resolve the long-standing conflict.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.