DAR’s online legal case monitoring system to hasten resolution of agrarian-related cases

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
February 17, 2012

TACLOBAN CITY  –  The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)’s latest innovation, the operationalization of the online Legal Case Monitoring System (LCMS), will fast track the resolution of agrarian-related cases.

DAR Region 8 Director Eliasem Castillo said the no less than Undersecretary Anthony Parungao explained that under this project, all agrarian-related cases whether filed at the DAR Adjudication Board (DARAB) or at the Legal Division in all DAR offices nationwide are to be entered into this web-based system for easy monitoring and tracking on the development of these cases.

Under this latest innovation in modernizing the outlook of the entire DAR organization, involved parties can inquire regarding the status of their case at the DAR Central Office or at any of its Regional and Provincial Offices nationwide.

Director Castillo said that last week, point persons in DAR Region-8 who are to handle the job were trained by DAR Central Office staff to be able to comply with the new system being developed by the agency and avoid erroneous entries.

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

Director Castillo added that at the Legal Division, DAR lawyers are set to represent 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.

During the training USec 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 modernization project will help the Department in achieving its targets particularly in the speedy resolution of cases affecting land acquisition and distribution.

Meanwhile, DAR Region 8 Information Officer, Jose Alsmith Soria, disclosed that last year, a total of 2,092 cases throughout this region involving some 1,715 ARBs were resolved by the DARAB.