The Department of Agrarian Reform in Region 7 will adopt a new strategy in addressing all pending cases related to the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in Central Visayas.

This comes following the death of Eleazar Casipong, one of two lawyers assigned to the Negros Oriental DAR office, who was shot dead last Saturday by still unidentified men for a still unknown motive.

DAR-7 Regional Director Rodolfo Inson disclosed on Thursday that there are plans now to create a task force of lawyers from the provincial DAR offices in Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental.

Inson said Louie Naranjo is now handling all pending CARP cases in Negros Oriental after the death of Casipong.

Before his death, Casipong was handling at least 16 agrarian cases, some of them sensitive.

Inson said the DAR-7 office is now reviewing all pending agrarian cases in the region that will be handled and resolved by the proposed task force of legal counsels.

Inson said the new strategy is needed, considering the inadequate number of lawyers assigned to the provinces in Region 7.

He said Cebu province has three lawyers, Bohol and Negros Oriental, one each, but Siquijor has none, although it has pending agrarian cases.

Inson said that, following a discussion with the DAR-7 regional legal chief, they will list down all cases according to priority.

The DAR-7 battery of lawyers will jointly focus on cases that have been pending for more than a year, he added.*JFP

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