MANILA – Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III has ordered an immediate investigation into claims that over 187 hectares of agrarian reform land in Capas, Tarlac, were illegally transferred from farmer-beneficiaries to a private company.

In a statement Thursday, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said Secretary Estrella directed Region 3 (Central Luzon) Director Eric Luna, through Special Order No. 67 issued on February 3, to “ascertain, without delay, the facts and circumstances surrounding the matter” and submit a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations within 15 days. The report will guide possible legal and administrative actions.

“The allegations are grave and strike at the very core of agrarian reform. The Department of Agrarian Reform will act decisively to uncover the truth and to ensure that the rights of our farmers are fully protected,” Estrella said.

According to DAR records, no transactions involving the disputed land occurred during the Marcos administration.

The alleged land transfer surfaced after Pyra Lucas, founder of United Filipino Against Crime and Corruption, claimed that political figures in Tarlac influenced the transfer of the Bocobo and Morales estates—originally awarded to 170 agrarian reform beneficiaries—to a private company.

Records show the land was placed under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in 1996, with Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) issued to farmer-beneficiaries. In 2000, some beneficiaries sold their holdings to Kung Meng Sheng Tao, Inc., which later secured private titles, sparking a decade-long legal dispute with the Bocobo corporations seeking nullification of the titles. After the Supreme Court resolved the disputes, Kung Meng pursued conversion of the land for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes.

“The ongoing investigation aims to protect the integrity of the agrarian reform program, safeguard the rights of farmer-beneficiaries, and ensure that no individual, regardless of influence or position, is above the law,” Estrella said.