The National Federation of Sugar Workers criticized the Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer of Murcia for his lack of knowledge about a property covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in Brgy. Sta. Rosa, Murcia.

Ranie Lava, NFSW president, yesterday said they were disappointed at the result of their dialog last week with the 19 farmer-beneficiaries of Hacienda Guanzon and Murcia MARO Edwin Sanchez.

Lava claimed that Sanchez only answered their queries with excuses and confusing statements, on the demands of the farmer-beneficiaries and sounded like a representative of the landowner.

The DAILY STAR tried to contact Sanchez but he could not be reached for comment as of press time yesterday.

Lava said their action of taking over the land last Feb. 1 was based on the Certificate of Land Ownership Award that was officially registered on May 30, 1992 in the Register of Deeds in Murcia.

He claimed that the Department of Agrarian Reform-Negros approved the CLOA and the farmers were told to wait for the official installation, but 20 years have passed and the farmers were not installed.

The farmers and their families started to occupy five hectares of the hacienda last week, and fortunately there was no violent reaction from the land owners, Lava added.

The group also scored President Benigno Aquino III for the failure of DAR to implement land reform program since he assumed office.

It also said that Negros needs to implement genuine land reform.*LTG

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