CABANATUAN CITY – So the ghost hunting must stop?
Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes levelled up Friday on ghost hunting queries of President Aquino’s role in the apparent delay in the distribution of the 6,443 hectares Hacienda Luisita sugar estate.
“Eh hanap kayo nang hanap ng multo,” Delos Reyes said when asked if Aquino whose family owns the estate has something to do with the perceived delay.
“Paulit-ulit ko nang sinasabi sa inyong wala eh. Natural naman na magre-report ako sa kanya kung ano ang nangyayari,” he added.
Delos Reyes was in Nueva Ecija as part of his visit in areas called “medium balance’” that also includes the provinces of Bulacan and Pangasinan. He would also lead the distribution of farm equipment such as thresher and harvesters among farmers cooperatives in Rizal town.
“Eh, bawat peryodistang makausap ko gustong kalkalin kung may ibinubulong sa’kin. Sinasabi kong wala, o, sinasabi ko uling wala,” he told Punto.
Asked if, on the other hand, the President asked the department to expedite the processes, he answered: “ Mula’t mula ang order ng pangulo sa CARP e pabilisin. Hindi lang sa Luisita kundi sa lahat.”
He also assailed reports that his office is manipulating the list of beneficiaries.
“Inilabas na natin yung unang listahan. Kaya tinawag kong pauna, maraming grupo diyan na nagwawala na sinasabi niluluto daw namin ‘yung listahan. Eh kung niluluto, bakit ko papakita bago gawing final? Oh, di baga naman sablay yung pananaw na ‘yun,?” he said.
He expressed optimism the distribution will be finished by April or May of 2013.
In general, he added, the biggest problem confronted by the CARP program in the present is land records.
These, he said, includes records from, the Land Registration Authority, technical description from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and titles.
Resistance of land owners comes a close second, he said.
