DAR to honor public’s right to information, documents

The public’s right to information and access to official documents will be honored by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and all its offices.

This is in line with the order of Secretary Gil de los Reyes for an effective and transparent disposition of land cases.

In Memorandum Circular No. 7, De los Reyes said “the right to information and access to official documents (of) cases is integral to the land rights of farmers, farm workers and tenants.”

The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reform Law (CARPer) affirmed the farmers’ legal standing as real parties in interest in cases involving the land they till.

In view of this, De los Reyes said it was but proper that “they are properly informed on all matters relevant to these cases and allowed access to all pertinent documents.”

He defined “information” as “any data or material in any form, including records, documents, memoranda, opinions, advisories, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, pleadings and papers, as well as data material held in any electronic form.”

He noted that, in some cases, not updating farmers on the status of their cases resulted in “undue dislocation” or ejection because the DAR was unable to intervene in the farmers’ behalf.

But he stressed that the right to information was not absolute. Certain documents, he said, may not be made available to the public.