The Department of Agrarian Reform-North of Negros Occidental has stopped the documentation of the coverage of the 500,000 square meters Negros First Ranch in Sta. Rosa, Murcia for the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, Enrique Paderes, PARO-North said yesterday.

In July, Bacolod Regional Trial Court Judge Fernando Elumba issued a writ of preliminary injunction stopping the Register of Deeds of Negros Occidental from annotating the CARP coverage on the land title.

Paderes said they are already preparing the endorsement of the case to DAR Region VI for which the latter will also file an exemption for coverage to the DAR central office.

He said they recommend to the province that the Negros First Ranch will be used as proposed because it is really needed.

However, Paderes said that coverage will only stop when DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes issues the order.

For DAR-North Negros, they stopped the documentation and processing of the land, he added.

Paderes also said that continuous negotiations are made for arrangements with those occupying the land. If land areas of the actual occupants are included in the coverage, Paderes said the province is looking at giving them disturbance compensation, though it is not yet final.

Early this year, 18 farmers claiming to be government agrarian reform beneficiaries, were charged for illegal trespassing and grave threats, before the Provincial Prosecutors of Negros Occidental, for allegedly occupying and plowing a portion of the ranch on April 2 and 4, in Brgy. and for threatening government employees assigned there.*LTG

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