DAR list shows Tinang farmers in 'bungkalan' activity all CARP beneficiaries —group

All of the farmers who participated in the June 9 "bungkalan" or cultivation activity in Hacienda Tinang in Tarlac have been deemed qualified beneficiaries of the government's agrarian reform program covering the area, farmers group Makisama-Tinang said Monday.

Makisama-Tinang provided photos of the list posted by the Department of Agrarian Reform, the government agency in charge of distributing the lands due to farmer-beneficiaries under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) law.

DAR earlier said only 13 Makisama-Tinang members participated in the June 9 activity, which has resulted in arrests, detention, and filing of criminal charges after police said the participants were conducting an illegal activity.

Those arrested were later on released on bail.

"The revalidated list of Tinang farmer-beneficiaries has been posted today, June 20, at the Barangay Tinang Barangay Hall, Concepcion, and at the Makisama-Tinang hut inside Hacienda Tinang. Expectedly, the list of 178 beneficiaries included all 94 members of Makisama-Tinang," the group said in a statement.

The group said the list from DAR "reaffirms the Tinang farmers as rightful owners of 200 hectares of land from Hacienda Tinang."

"It bolsters the rightful claim of the Tinang farmers to the plot they cultivated with supporters last June 9, cementing the utter uselessness of the charges filed against them," Makisama-Tinang added.

The release of the list of qualified agrarian beneficiaries will allow DAR to formally install the Tinang farmer-beneficiaries to their individual lots and issuance of an individual Certificate of Land Ownership at Award (CLOA).

The Hacienda Tinang farmers have been issued collective CLOA by DAR way back in 1995 but have yet to be granted individual titles to this day.

Makisama-Tinang, however, warned that their fight is not yet over.

"We repeat: supporting farmers is not a crime. Contrary to this, we have witnessed how the outpouring of public support has advanced the Tinang farmers' plight," the group said.

Those charged in connection with the "bungkalan" activity earlier refused to enter a plea over the illegal assembly, malicious mischief, and other criminal charges filed against them by another farmer's cooperative.

As a result, a Capas, Tarlac, court entered a not guilty plea for them. —KBK, GMA News