Tulfo alarmed over rampant land grabbing vs farmers

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo has expressed alarm over the supposed rampant land grabbing affecting the defenseless farmers in Palawan and in other far-flung areas.

Tulfo, a known defender of the aggrieved, said it's high time to look into the issue and hold accountable the powerful and influential people harassing and taking advantage of the vulnerability of the farmers.

"Iyon pong pang-aagaw sa mga lupain ng mga farmers has been going on for quite some time. Very rampant po itong nangyayari ngayon sa Palawan, at ang nasa likod po nito ay mga influential personalities," he said.

"Pero hindi lamang po ito sa Palawan nangyayari kundi pati na rin sa buong Pilipinas. Yung maliliit nating farmers inaagawan po ng mga lupain ng mga maiimpluwensiyang tao dahil alam nilang walang panlaban itong mga pobreng farmers," he added.

A veteran broadcast journalist, Tulfo said he has received a lot of complaints from farmers claiming that their lands were taken from them illegally, through his program "Wanted sa Radyo."

Tulfo further revealed the tactic of influential people victimizing farmers.

"Ang modus po nitong influential people in Palawan, lalapitan po nila itong maliliit na farmers na naghihikahos at mayroong pangangailangan, at kukumbinsihing isangla ang lupa sa kanila.

"Kapag naisangla na ang lupa sa kanila, papalitan na ng mga mapansamantalang taong ito ang titulo sa pamamagitan ng pakikipagsabwatan sa Land Registration Authority. And by the time na mayroon ng perang pangtubos ng lupa ang mga farmers, hindi na nila matutubos yung titulo dahil in most cases, mayroon ng private army na nakaharang sa lupa," he added.

Should the land grabbing issue be investigated at the Senate, Tulfo said he is ready to discuss it more extensively and invite the personalities being complained by farmers involved in land grabbing.