CA order for gov't to pay P28B to Hacienda Luisita not yet final, executory —Landbank
State-run lender Land Bank of the Philippines on Thursday said the Court of Appeals' (CA) decision for the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and state-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to pay P28 billion as just compensation to Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) for distribution of its land to farmer beneficiaries is not yet final as the decision is still being appealed.
'The CA decision is not yet final and executory. A Motion for Reconsideration was filed by the DAR in May 2025 and is awaiting resolution,' Landbank said.
'If sustained by the CA, DAR may elevate the case to the Supreme Court (SC),' the bank said.
In a 35-page decision, the CA said the Tarlac City Regional Trial Court-Special Agrarian Court (RTC-SAC) incorrectly computed the compensation for Hacienda Luisita because the amount to be paid in exchange for the property taken should be "real, substantial, full, ample, just and fair, with due consideration to the factors enumerated under Section 17 [on determination of just compensation] of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law."
The decision covers 4,500 hectares of Cojuangco family-owned HLI land.
'Respondents are ordered to pay petitioner the total amount of P28,488,944,278.71 as just compensation as of 30 April 2025, without prejudice to the accrual of interest until fully paid," the CA said.
In its statement, Landbank clarified that it was 'dropped as a party respondent to the just compensation case [CA-G.R. SP No. 180821, 'Hacienda Luisita, Inc (HLI). vs. Land Bank of the Philippines and DAR'] by the Court of Appeals (CA) in its decision on April 30, 2024.'
'The latest CA decision on the case, dated April 25, 2025, ordering the payment of P28.49 billion in just compensation to HLI is chargeable against the Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF), which is owned by the National Government and administered by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR),' the bank said.
The state-run lender further said its designated role was as custodian of the ARF, 'in charge of carrying out disbursement instructions by the DAR.'
In November 2011, the Supreme Court voted 14-0 ordering the distribution of nearly 5,000 hectares of land to some 6,000 farmer beneficiaries of HLI.
In a 56-page decision, the 14 magistrates "recalled and set aside" the option given to the farmer beneficiaries — some of them members of Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Hacienda Luisita (Ambala) and Farm Workers Agrarian Reform Movement (FARM) — to remain as HLI stockholders.
The high tribunal upheld its ruling in April 2012.
The sprawling estate had been under the control of the family of former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino III for around six decades before the SC ordered the total distribution of the property to farmworker beneficiaries.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
CA order for gov't to pay P28B to Hacienda Luisita not yet final, executory —Landbank
State-run lender Land Bank of the Philippines on Thursday said the Court of Appeals' (CA) decision for the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and state-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to pay P28 billion as just compensation to Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) for distribution of its land to farmer beneficiaries is not yet final as the decision is still being appealed. 'The CA decision is not yet final and executory. A Motion for Reconsideration was filed by the DAR in May 2025 and is awaiting resolution,' Landbank said. 'If sustained by the CA, DAR may elevate the case to the Supreme Court (SC),' the bank said. In a 35-page decision, the CA said the Tarlac City Regional Trial Court-Special Agrarian Court (RTC-SAC) incorrectly computed the compensation for Hacienda Luisita because the amount to be paid in exchange for the property taken should be "real, substantial, full, ample, just and fair, with due consideration to the factors enumerated under Section 17 [on determination of just compensation] of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law." The decision covers 4,500 hectares of Cojuangco family-owned HLI land. 'Respondents are ordered to pay petitioner the total amount of P28,488,944,278.71 as just compensation as of 30 April 2025, without prejudice to the accrual of interest until fully paid," the CA said. In its statement, Landbank clarified that it was 'dropped as a party respondent to the just compensation case [CA-G.R. SP No. 180821, 'Hacienda Luisita, Inc (HLI). vs. Land Bank of the Philippines and DAR'] by the Court of Appeals (CA) in its decision on April 30, 2024.' 'The latest CA decision on the case, dated April 25, 2025, ordering the payment of P28.49 billion in just compensation to HLI is chargeable against the Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF), which is owned by the National Government and administered by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR),' the bank said. The state-run lender further said its designated role was as custodian of the ARF, 'in charge of carrying out disbursement instructions by the DAR.' In November 2011, the Supreme Court voted 14-0 ordering the distribution of nearly 5,000 hectares of land to some 6,000 farmer beneficiaries of HLI. In a 56-page decision, the 14 magistrates "recalled and set aside" the option given to the farmer beneficiaries — some of them members of Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Hacienda Luisita (Ambala) and Farm Workers Agrarian Reform Movement (FARM) — to remain as HLI stockholders. The high tribunal upheld its ruling in April 2012. The sprawling estate had been under the control of the family of former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino III for around six decades before the SC ordered the total distribution of the property to farmworker beneficiaries.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- GMA Network
DAR, Landbank ordered to pay P28 billion to Hacienda Luisita
The Court of Appeals (CA) has ordered the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and state-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to pay P28 billion as just compensation to Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) following the Supreme Court's decision ordering the distribution of HLI land to farmer beneficiaries. In a 35-page decision, the CA said the Tarlac City Regional Trial Court-Special Agrarian Court (RTC-SAC) incorrectly computed the compensation for Hacienda Luisita because the amount to be paid in exchange for the property taken should be "real, substantial, full, ample, just and fair, with due consideration to the factors enumerated under Section 17 [on determination of just compensation] of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law." With its ruling, the appellate court granted the petition for review filed by HLI. It also reverses and sets aside the February 15, 2023 decision and August 11, 2023 resolution of the RTC-Branch 63 of Tarlac City, which acted as the Special Agrarian Court. "Respondents are ordered to pay petitioner the total amount of P28,488,944,278.71 as just compensation as of 30 April 2025, without prejudice to the accrual of interest until fully paid," the CA said. The tribunal found that the RTC-SAC "erred," saying that in determining just compensation, "reliable and actual data should have been considered," consistent with DAR regulations, in determining the "fair and full equivalent for the loss sustained by the landowner." "There was data submitted by petitioner HLI for the computation of the Average Gross Income and that it was rejected by DAR Adjudication Board on the purported claim that it was not accurate. There was, however, no proof provided in the said DAR Adjudication Board decision that no data was submitted by the landowner [HLI] or that the data that HLI submitted cannot be verified or validated," the CA added. Further, the CA ruled that the RTC-SAC merely echoed and adopted the findings of the DAR Adjudication Board, which also relied on the valuations made by the DAR and the LBP. "To this Court, petitioner should be compensated fairly and fully in accordance with the equivalent loss sustained by it as landowner. In this regard, an examination of the circumstances of the case at bench showed that the RTC-SAC erred when it did not take into account the actual production value in the determination on how much is the correct just compensation due to petitioner HLI and when it simply affirmed the LBP and DAR's use of industry standard values in determining the land valuation of the CARP acquired properties," the CA said. "In this case, there was a clear admission on the part of DAR in its Answer that petitioner HLI's Audited Financial Statement was available and submitted to them, only that they deny considering them on the general claim, without more, that they cannot be verified or validated. We also checked the Answer with Affirmative Defense filed by LBP but it was not explained therein how the petitioner HLI's data could not be validated or verified," the CA added. The CA said the P28 billion amount for just compensation was arrived at using a prescribed formula that "provides a more equitable and fair computation of just compensation as it factors in various considerations affecting the value, not only of the property at the time of taking, but also of the money which could have accrued to the aggrieved landowner's benefit." "We have also taken into consideration that in computing the land value, the amounts already received by the petitioner in the sum of P471,501,417.98 million should be properly deducted in 2013. Thus, as it shows, the amount of just compensation due to the subject property is Php28,488,944,278.71 as of 30 April 2025," the CA said. In November 2011, the Supreme Court voted 14-0 ordering the distribution of nearly 5,000 hectares of land to some 6,000 farmer beneficiaries of HLI. In a 56-page decision, the 14 magistrates "recalled and set aside" the option given to the farmer beneficiaries — some of them members of Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Hacienda Luisita (Ambala) and Farm Workers Agrarian Reform Movement (FARM) — to remain as HLI stockholders. The high tribunal upheld its ruling in April 2012. The sprawling estate had been under the control of the family of former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino III for around six decades before the SC ordered the total distribution of the property to farmworker beneficiaries. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
04-06-2025
- GMA Network
Marcos nominates new envoys to Commission on Appointments
President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has nominated seven new Philippine envoys, according to Surigao Del Sur lawmaker and Commission on Appointments Assistant Minority Leader Johnny Pimentel on Wednesday. In a press statement, Pimentel said the President had issued the nominations last June 2, and ''all were formally received by the Commission on the same day.'' Pimentel said the nominees are as follows: Evangeline Ong Jimenez-Ducrocq - Philippine Permanent Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta, Indonesia; Bernadette Therese Fernandez - Ambassador to South Korea; Maria Teresa Almojuela - Ambassador to Germany; Alan Deniega - Ambassador to Poland, with concurrent jurisdiction over Lithuania and Ukraine; Gines Jaime Ricardo Gallaga - Ambassador to Bahrain; Marlowe Miranda - Ambassador to Lebanon; and Arvin De Leon - Ambassador to Mexico, with concurrent jurisdiction over the Caribbean nations of Cuba and the Dominican Republic, as well as the Central American countries of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama Pimentel pointed out that unlike ad interim appointments – which take effect immediately pending CA confirmation – nominees cannot assume their posts until they have secured the Commission's consent. The lawmaker added that both the assignment of ambassadors and the promotion in rank of senior foreign service officers require CA approval. The 1987 Constitution states that the 25-member CA is mandated to assess the competence, integrity, and fitness of key presidential appointees, with the authority to either confirm or reject them. "Confirmation hearings serve as an important safeguard, ensuring proper oversight of the President's power to appoint officials to critical diplomatic posts," Pimentel said. The CA is composed of 12 members each from the House of Representatives and the Senate, with the Senate President serving as its ex-officio presiding officer. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA Integrated News
