ANGELES CITY- Accomplishments of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in 2011 and 2012 reportedly reflected that some P7.2 billion funds it got under the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) “went to corruption,” the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said yesterday.
KMP Secretary General Antonio Flores noted that “in 2011, out of the 120,286-hectare (land distribution) accomplishment by the DAR, only 12,515 hectares were under compulsory acquisition, while in 2012, out of the 115,124 hectares allegedly distributed, only 9,826 hectares were under compulsory acquisition.”
“The DAR’s accomplishment report on land distribution in 2011 and 2012 are strong evidences that billions of DAP money went to corruption,” Flores said, amid figures from the government on how much funds were poured into the agrarian reform agency in the past two years.
KMP noted that on top of the DAP funds, the DAR already had a budget of P10.2 billion for land acquisition and distribution and another P4 billion for Tulay ng Pangulo in 2011.
The group also said that in 2012, the DAR got P9.4 billion more for land acquisition and distribution, plus another P2 billion for Tulay ng Pangulo. The KMP quoted Budget Sec. Florencio Abad as having said recently that some P5.4 billion under DAP was allocated to DAR for landowners compensation in 2011, and another P1.8 billion for the Tulay ng Pangulo project also under the same agency.
“The DAR’s accomplishment report for the last two years shows that the controversial DAP funds went to corruption. We have strong doubt that the P7.2 billion DAP channelled by the Aquino government to the DAR went to corruption,” Flores said, stressing “DAR’s failure to distribute private agricultural lands.”
Flores said KMP has demanded “an independent audit and inquiry on the more than P7.2 billion DAP funnelled by the Aquino administration in the DAR.” “We want to know the landlords who benefited from the DAP, what and where are the lands covered,” he added.
He stressed that “the huge budgetary allocation, the dismal accomplishment on land distribution, and the technical malversation of billions of public funds through the DAP shows that the DAR and the government’s agrarian reform program are milking cows of big landlords and corrupt bureaucrats.”
“DAR’s own figures concretely belie Malacanang’s claim that Abad and the DAP saved the country from financial ruin. The additional funds for landlord compensation and the Tulay ng Pangulo program despite the huge budgetary allocations in 2011-2012 are highly questionable," he said.
Flores also said that under the Aquino government, “big landlords, like the Cojuangco-Aquinos, corrupt bureaucrats, and bogus NGOs are feasting over agrarian reform and DAP funds while farmers continue to suffer from landlessness.
