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This file photo shows the Court of Appeals in Manila.
File photo
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agrarian Reform has asked the Court of Appeals (CA) to reconsider its decision ordering DAR and the Land Bank of the Philippines to pay Hacienda Luisita Inc. P28.4 billion for the 4,500 hectares of HLI land that it subjected to the comprehensive agrarian reform program and distributed to farmer beneficiaries.
In a statement, Landbank said the CA decision is not yet final and executory. It added that DAR filed a motion for reconsideration last month and is awaiting resolution.
Landbank said the DAR also has the option to elevate the case to the Supreme Court if the CA would not reconsider its ruling.
Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the DAR is studying all of its legal options.
“We will reserve our legal position in appropriate pleadings with proper coordination with the DAR own legal services and the solicitor general. The DAR, as was before, now and ever, will always uphold what the law provides. Just as the farmers are entitled to the award of lands acquired by DAR, so are landowners entitled to just compensation which is provided for by the Constitution and Republic Act 6657 as amended,” Estrella told The STAR.
In the 35-page decision on April 25, the CA ordered DAR and Landbank to pay P28.4 billion as just compensation to HLI following the Supreme Court decision that ordered the distribution of the Cojuangco family-owned Hacienda Luisita lands to farmer beneficiaries.
The CA ruled that the Tarlac City Regional Trial Court-Special Agrarian Court “erred when it did not take into account the actual production value in the determination on how much is the correct just compensation due to HLI and simply affirmed the LBP and DAR’s use of industry standard values in determining the land valuation of the CARP-acquired properties.”
But the compensation, the CA said, “should be real, substantial, full, ample, just and fair, with due consideration to the factors enumerated under Section 17 of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law.”
“What is just as compensation for the landowners lie with the court, the adjudicator of final judgment,” Estrella said.
Landbank said it is no longer a party to the case as it was dropped as respondent in April 2024.
It clarified that the P28.4 billion in just compensation is chargeable against the Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF), which is owned by the government and administered by DAR.
“Landbank’s designated role is as custodian of the ARF, in charge of carrying out disbursement instructions by the DAR,” it said.
