The tracts of land will be distributed to the landless since that was the aim of the agrarian reform law. #agrarianreform #landforpoor

Democratic distribution The target of President Rodrigo Duterte is to have all huge plantations distributed to tillers before his term ends three years from now. ANALY LABOR

Vast landholdings that Spanish friars passed down to Filipinos when the country ceased to be a colony of the European country should be surrendered, including those bought back from land reform beneficiaries, President Rodrigo Duterte said.

In an address during the awarding of shelter projects in Naga City, Cebu last Friday, the President said the tracts of land will be distributed to the landless since that was the aim of the agrarian reform law that covered these estates.

The President warned that, “If there are tenants who will come to me to complain that they sold the land but it wasn’t returned to them, then I will force you to surrender (these).”

Among the biggest such former Spanish plantations is the Hacienda Luisita owned by the family of former President Benigno Aquino III.

“Those lands have been land-reformed already. But what they did was they gave away the lands and then bought them back again from the tenants. That’s what angers me,” the President underlined.

Without mentioning a name, Mr. Duterte said he told a certain landowner “that the land reform under the law mandates you to give your lands to the tenants. Anyway, you’ve been billionaires for 300 years.”

Rody said some of the vast plantations were distributed to farmers, “but now these were sold and the former owners then bought it back. Others used their influence and tapped the CAFGU (armed militia), army and police just so that they can protect their properties,” Mr. Duterte noted.

As if forcefully talking to somebody, Mr. Duterte said, “So, I’d like to be frank with you all. In my time, the law is the law. If you bought that back, return it. You know that selling the land is restricted for a certain period.”

“A long time has passed. For three hundred years you drove nice cars, you had nice (properties). You enjoyed it because it was given to you for free, the friar lands that were given by the priests. They also gave it to the Filipinos whom they liked,” the President said referring to the more than 300 years that the country was colonized by Spain.

Mr. Duterte noted that “if there are arrangements” in parts of the country, “then let those lands go because I will force you to do it.”

“If you don’t, I myself will go there and put up houses for your slaves, your tenants,” according to the President.

Some 23 friar estates from Catholic religious orders cover an area of 160,535.8 hectares of land found in the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, Cebu, Cavite, Isabela, Laguna, Mindoro, Rizal and Metro Manila.

When the Americans took over the Philippines from Spain in 1898, among the first problem that confronted the new colonizer was the disposition of the so-called friar lands.

These huge tracts of land are owned mostly by three predominant Spanish religious orders, the Dominicans, Augustinians, and Recollects, and comprises about one-tenth of all the improved land in the islands.

The Philippine Revolution prior to the American takeover was mainly fueled by discontent among local peasants complaining about the feudal practices in these estates.

In the Treaty of Paris signed in 1898 between the Spanish and American governments to settle the war between the two countries, the US government agreed to protect the friars’ rights over these properties but on the condition that most of these would be sold to the US government.

The US purchased some 170,000 hectares of these lands for $7 million for resale to tenant farmers who in turn paid on installment.

The problem started from there as disputes arose over the accuracy of land surveys and the terms of repayment, and the contentions did not stop ever since.