BANANA FARMERS and industry workers yesterday trooped to the Department of Justice (DoJ) office in Metro Manila to press for the awarding of land in Davao del Norte that they claim is being held on to by Tagum Agricultural Development Corp. (Tadeco), among the country’s biggest exporters. “The 28,816-hectare banana plantation of the Tadeco of the Floirendo family, a then Marcos crony, is a clear example of how legitimate agrarian reform beneficiaries are robbed of their rights to till their own land through various schemes such as leaseback, leasehold, contract growing and agribusiness venture agreements (AVAs),” Billy Cabintoy, secretary-general of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB) One Movement, said in a statement. The group said the Department of Agrarian Reform has already ruled in their favor on the contested lands. “Only the immediate installation of the ARBs would provide justice to them. This can only be done if the DoJ, which is a member of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) strongly recommends that it revoke the Joint Venture and various AVAs,” Mr. Cabintoy said. — Andrea Louise E. San Juan

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