After conducting a security sweep and inventory of farm equipment in the farm areas in Barangay Madaum, Tagum City, members of the Hijo Employees Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative 1 (HEARBCO-1) have retrieved their “unlawfully-occupied” properties.
Lapanday Foods Corporation (LFC) confirmed in a media statement that in the morning of December 31, the breakaway group Madaum Agrarian Reform Benefeciaries Association Inc. (MARBAI), and its supporters abandoned the premises leaving in their wake over 20 hectares that were “viciously and unnecessarily destroyed that deprived the livelihood of the legitimate members of the cooperative”. Lapanday has a growership contract with HEARBCO-1.
According to the LFC, there was “no violence, nor any untoward incident in the course of the retaking of the areas as theses posts were practically left unattended”.
“The unlawful occupation ended with the supporters MARBAI many of whom were from other provinces, abandoned their post, Lapanday Foods Corporation was informed,” according to the statement.
LFC added, HEARBCO -1 discovered that many of the farm equipment used for various operations have gone missing.
“Since the breakaway group led by Mely Yu and supporters forcibly entered the farm premises last 9 December, unlawfully occupying portions of the plantations registered in the name of the cooperative and its legitimate members, they have not only chopped standing bananas crops, and illegally harvested and sold fruits, but they have also ransacked its bodegas,” LFC said.
LFC charged that the objective of the breakaway group failed to fully disrupt the operations of HEARBCO-1 and to prevent the cooperative from complying with its existing valid contacts with Lapanday Foods Corporation.
The company claimed that HEARBCO-1 is the absolute and legal owner of these lands, which have been also been previously awarded by the DAR to HEARBCO-1 and its lawful agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).
Earlier, a Cease and Desist Order (CDO) was issued by DAR Secretary Rafael V. Mariano on December 14, 2016, awarding the land to the members of Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association, Inc. (“MARBAI”). LFC has branded this action of Mariano in their press statement as “violation of due process and confiscatory in nature”.
The work to restore the areas of the farms that were destroyed by Yu’s group will now begin and assistance will be extended to the helpless agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) whose awarded lands were ruined for no justifiable reason so that they can start farming on their lands again and be able to fend for their families, Lapanday said.
LFC said MARBAI, the breakaway group led by Yu and their supporters will be made to account for the destruction of the area, the theft of farm equipment and other facilities that are now being assessed with the help of HEARBCO-1 members and cooperatives’ security guards.
Meanwhile, MARBAI supporter Unyon sa mga Mag-uumang Nagtikad para sa Tinuod nga Reform ang Agraryo (UGMAD-TRA) which formerly occupied the lands set up an encampment outside Madaum Village to protest on the action of HEARBCO-1 and LFC.
In an interview with the local media, spokesperson Antonio Tuyak claimed that LFC security guards who conducted the security sweeping “forcibly took over” the area where they set up their station.
“Some went to the hospital as they were kicked, others lost their wallets and cellphones, and there are also motorcycles which were not returned because they were blocked,” Tuyak added.
