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DAR will hire more lawyers to expedite resolution of agrarian cases

Philippines | National

DAR will hire more lawyers to expedite resolution of agrarian cases

By Jel Santos

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will hire more lawyers to expedite the resolution of agrarian cases, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said.

Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado Estrella III (Photo by DAR)

This is in line with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to provide social justice and free the farmers from the bondage of the soil, Estrella said.

“Currently, the DAR is experiencing a shortage of lawyers to review all agrarian disputes that are pending under the DAR Adjudication Board (DARAB) and Agrarian Law Implementation (ALI),” the secretary said in a statement.

Estrella said that the DARAB received a total of 640,807 cases from 1988 to June 2022. A total of 638,445 of these were adjudicated, leaving a balance of 2,362 ongoing cases.

Meanwhile, from 1993 to June 2022, the DAR received a total of 945,875 ALI caseloads, resolving 943,584 cases and leaving a balance of 2,291 pending cases.

Estrella said it is very hard for the DAR to hire competent and top-notch lawyers who can assist the agrarian reform department to resolve its pending cases.

“Our game plan is to do a scrap and build scheme. We will abolish vacant positions so that we can create positions to offer bigger salaries to the lawyers,” he said.

According to him, the DAR will implement the “real mandate” of the program, which is to provide social justice and free farmers from the bondage of the land.

“The DAR will encourage more lawyers to join the team to help us review pending cases, conduct fast-tracking activities, and enhance its legal case monitoring system,” said Estrella.

The DAR may not be able to achieve a zero backlog at this point but it is the DAR’s commitment to provide a higher percentage of solving pending cases, he said.

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