DAR v.

Sarangani Agricultural Corporation

Ayelle: Thanks Nikki. Andito po tayo ngayon sa disputed land na nabanggit ni Nikki.
Nakikita po natin ang mga banana and pomelo planters na nag-aaklas laban sa
Sarangani Agricultural Corp. Nakikita rin po natin ang DAR Secretary na firm sa
kanyang stand na hindi dapat i-convert ang subject land.
Ano ba ang punot dulo nga alitang ito?
Banana planter: gusto kasi nilang ipaconvert to commercial land ang sakahan
namin. Kung ganyan ang mangyayari san kami magpapalant ng banana?
Ayelle: Ano ang masasabi mo, banana planter 2?
B2 (Ate Lui):

Negosyo o kalayaan? Bayan o sarili, pumili ka!

B2 (Boysie):: Ganito ba talaga ang tadhana natin?

Kalaban ang kalaban. Kalaban ang kakampi,

nakakapagod. Tulungan mo kami, Heneral Luna!

SACI (Marco): ano ba? dpat natin iconvert. kasi ang thrust nga gobyerno natin ay
urbanization tapos considering na bago lang na-create ang probinsya ng Sarangani
at ginawang capital nito ang municipality natin, dapat mag-give way ang mga
bananas para sa housing at business establishments
Kaya umaapela ako sa DAR, iconsider ninyo naman ang municipal zoning ordinance
ng municipality natin at ang comprehensive land use plan na nag-iinclude sa
disputed land as part of the commercial lands sa pagdecide nnyu sa land use
conversion application namin. Igalang nyo naman ang local governments.
Ayelle: Ano ang masasabi mo, DAR?
DAR(Ate Gee, Ate Shuz, and Ate Kat): Ayaw naming iconvert to non-agricultural
use. Kami ang pabebe girls at walang makakapigil sa amin!
All: Ayan ayan andito na ang decision ng Supreme Court
Sabi ng order: (Marco to read)
In application for land use conversion, dapat iconsider nga DAR ang comprehensive
land use plan and ordinances na ipinasa ng affected municipality. The authority to
approve or disapprove land use conversion is still lodged with DAR. However, it
must rule in accordance with the limitations prescribed by law (e.g. certain
percentage, CARL preference).
In this case, DAR should have treated the zoning ordinance and comprehensive land
use plan as primary reference in deciding the issue. It was found that the Mun. of
Alabel is on its road to urbanization since it was hailed as the capital of the newlycreated Sarangani Province. However, conversion is not proper since the land in

question is already ripe for distribution to qualified CARP beneficiaries. By CARL,

these lands are subject to redistribution to CARP beneficiaries upon the lapse of the
ten-year period, counted from the date of the effectivity of the CARL which was way
before the creation of the Province of Sarangani and the eventual reclassification of
the agricultural lands into non-agricultural in the Municipality of Alabel where
respondents' properties are located.
Section 20 of the LGC of 1991 on the reclassification of lands explicitly states
that "[n]othing in this section shall be construed as repealing, amending or
modifying in any manner the provisions of R.A. No. 6657." Thus, where the law
speaks in clear and categorical language, there is no room for interpretation. There
is only room for application.

In short, the creation of the new Province of Sarangani, and the

reclassification that was effected by the Municipality of Alabel did not operate to
supersede the applicable provisions of R.A. No. 6657.

Ayelle: Ayan po. Narinig na natin ang posisyon ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman. Dapat
talaga itong sundin sapagkat ayon sa Artikulo Uno:
Ang sinumang hindi sumunod sa kautusan ay tatanggalan ng ranggo, armas, at
ipapapatay na walang paglilitis sa hukumang militar.
Ito po si Heneral Luna, nagpapatrol. Back to you, Nikki.