TACLOBAN CITY: The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is seeking faster resolution of agrarian-related cases once the online Legal Case Monitoring System (LCMS) becomes operational.
Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Anthony Parungao explained that under such system, all agrarian-related cases whether filed at the DAR Adjudication Board (DARAB) or at the Legal Division in all DAR offices nationwide would be entered into this web-based system for easy monitoring and tracking on the development of these cases.

“With this latest step, all concerned parties could inquire on the statuses of their cases at the DAR Central Office or at any of its regional and provincial offices nationwide,” Parungao said.

Parungao stressed that the online monitoring system will simplify the process in order to hasten the resolution of these cases.

“The DAR management is optimistic that this online system will help the Department in achieving its targets particularly in the speedy resolution of cases affecting land acquisition and distribution,” Parungao said.

Eastern Visayas DAR Regional Director Eliasem Castillo said that for 2012, some 2,380 cases throughout the region are targeted for resolution by the DARAB within the year.

Castillo added that DAR lawyers are representing agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) as counsels in about 2,273 cases both in regular courts all over Eastern Visayas and at the DARAB; while some 3,355 other Agrarian Law Implementation (ALI) cases, such as inclusion and exclusion of ARBs, retention and protest from the coverage of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), among others, are to be resolved also within the year.

Last year DAR-8 resolved a total of 2,092 cases involving 1,715 agrarian beneficiaries.

He added that a total of 4,049 cases involving 3,307 ARBs were resolved by the DAR 8’s Legal Division in 2011; while a total of 2,482 cases handled by DAR lawyers both in regular courts and in DARAB were likewise resolved.