An Integral component of the thrusts and priorities of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is evident in his instructions to all the departments and agencies of the Government.  The President mandates  the reduction of all the requirements and  the  processing  time  for  all  the  applications  for  department  approval  or agency action. The priority for action is to streamline  all legal processes  in the DAR.  One  area  which  urgently  requires  an  overhaul  of  the  process  is  the cancellation   of  Emancipation   Patents  (EPs),  Certificate   of  Land  Ownership Award (CLOAs) and other titles issued under any Agrarian Reform Program.

Republic  Act  (R.A.)  No.  6657,  as  amended  by  R.A.  No.  9700,  as  well  as Executive  Order (E.O.)  No. 229, Presidential  Decree  (P.D.) No. 27,   E.O. No. 228, R.A. No. 3844, as amended by R.A. No. 6389, and other agrarian laws prescribe  the  manner  of  acquisition,  re-distribution,  and  award  of  agricultural lands to qualified farmer-beneficiaries  with corresponding  rights and obligations.
 
The awards of land to qualified beneficiaries  are evidence by EPs, CLOAs, and other titles issued under any Agrarian Reform Program.

Section 9 of R.A. No. 9700 provides that the EPs, CLOAs, and other titles issued any Agrarian Reform program shall be indefeasible and imprescriptible after one (1) year from its registration with the Office of Registry of Deeds, subject to the conditions,  limitations,  and  qualifications  of  this  Act,  the  property  registration decree, and other pertinent laws. The emancipation patents or the certificates of land  ownership  award  being  titles  brought  under  the operation  of the Torrens system, are conferred  with the same indefeasibility  and security  afforded  to all titles under the said system, as provided for by P.D. No. 1529, as amended by R.A. No. 6732.

All cases  involving  the cancellation  of registered  emancipation  patents, certificates of land ownership award, and other titles issued under any agrarian Reform Program are within the exclusive and original jurisdiction of the Secretary of the DAR.

DAR  Administrative  Order  (A.O.  No.  6, series  of 2011  and  DAR  A.O.  No.  7, series of 2014 as amended by DAR A.O. No. 4, s. of 2015 provide for the rules and regulations for the involuntary cancellation of EPs, CLOAs, and other titles issued under any Agrarian Reform Program. DAR A.O No. 8, series of 1995 as amended by DAR A.O. No. 1, series of 2017 provide for the rules and regulations for the voluntary cancellation of EPs, CLOAs and other titles issued under any Agrarian Reform Program. DAR A.O. No. 8, series of 1995 as amended by DAR A.O. No. 1, series of 2017 provide for the rules and regulations for the voluntary cancellation  of EPs, DAR A.O. No 6, series of 2014 provides for the procedure for the cancellation of EPs, CLOAs and other titles issued under any Agrarian Reform for the purpose of correcting erroneous technical descriptions,

Indispensable  to the cancellation  of EPs, CLOAs and other titles issued under any Agrarian Reform Program is the case build-up process in the office of the Provincial Agrarian Reform Adjudicator (PARAD) and the case evaluation and preparation  of the draft resolutions  by the Office of the Assistant  Secretary  for Legal Affairs (ALAO), and the Bureau of Agrarian Legal Assistance (BALA).

In the case build-up process, PARADs may issue interlocutory orders to require the  petitioner  to  submit  all  documentary  requirements  before  the  cancellation case folder is forwarded  to the DAR Central  Office.  The ALAO  and the BALA may likewise issue interlocutory orders for the same purpose. This arrangement of  issuing  overlapping   interlocutory   orders  from  various  offices  delays  the resolution of cancellation cases.

On the other hand, cancellation petitions which are already being voluntarily withdrawn  by  the  parties  are  still  subject  to the  case  build-up  process  in the PARAD, the BALA and ALAO and are still elevated to the Office of the Secretary for proper disposition due to Section 24 of R.A.No. 6657, as amended. This arrangement  of elevating  to  the  Office  of the  Secretary  petitions  which  could have already been dismissed at an earlier instance, contributes to the clogging of the dockets.

Current procedures in the cancellation of an EP, CLOA or any other title issued under  any Agrarian  Reform  Program  unnecessarily  afford  a losing  party in an
 
Agrarian  Law  Implementation  (ALI)  case  another  opportunity  to challenge  the very outcome of all ALI case during the filing of the peititon for cancellation This is due to the fact that the losing party in the ALI case has the second chance to oppose the cancellation of the title based on the very same set of arguments and evidence which said party submitted  in the decided ALI case. This results to a repeat of the entire process which delays the speedy disposition of cancellation cases and contributes to the clogging of the dockets.

The rules on the cancellation of EPs, CLOAs, and other titles issued under any Agrarian Reform Program due to the death of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiary unnecessarily  impose upon the PARAD the task of establishing the qualification of heirs of the ARB. The PARAD is given the task of identifying the names of the person(s)  who  will  appear  as  the  registered  owner’s  of  the  new  title  upon cancellation due to the death of the ARB. This is a task reserved for the Register of Deed (ROD) and not DAR. This delays the cancellation process.

Regarding  the  cancellation  of EPs,  CLOAs  and  other  titles  issued  under  any Agrarian Reform Program for the purpose of correcting erroneous technical descriptions  even  when  there  is  no  issue  regarding  the  identification  or  the number of the ARBs, or the correctness of the coverage of the landholding or any portion thereof, the cancellation of the defective title goes through several layers for  the  case  build  up  process.  It  starts  from  the  Provincial  Agrarian  Reform Program  Officer  (PARPO)  which  prepares  the  report  and  recommendations. These  are submitted  to the Regional  Director  (RD)  for review.  The Bureau  of Land and Tenure Improvement (BLTI) then reviews said report and recommendations a second time after which the Assistant Secretary for Field Operations Office (AFOO) reviews the report and the recommendations  is made by  Undersecretary   for  Field  Operations  Office  (UFOO)  before  everything  is submitted to the Office of the DAR Secretary which makes the final review and renders the decision.

This five-layer process in the correction of entries in the EP, CLOA or other title issued under any Agrarian Reform Program delays the speedy disposition of cancellation cases and contributes to the clogging of the dockets.

SECTION 1.  Coverage -  These Omnibus Rules of Summary Procedure shall apply to the cancellation of an EP, CLOA or  other title issued under any Agrarian Reform Program arising of from any of the following:

1.1.  Any case that does not have any remaining unresolved ALI issues. An ALI Case where the Decision has become final and executory; and is not the subject of an annulment action.

1.2  An ALI Case or a  Cancellation  case where the Petitioner or all the parties would like to withdraw the said ALI  or cancellation case.

1.3  A Cancellation  case  to correct  erroneous  technical  description  in the  EP. CLOA  ,  or  other  title  issued  under  any  Agrarian  Reform  Program  where  the correction of the entries in the title shall not result to any issue regarding the identification  or the number of the ARBs, or the correctness  of the coverage of the coverage of the landholding or any portion thereof.
 
1.4 A Cancellation  case with an approved  land transfer  clearance  arising from the sale, donation, assignment of rights, succession as well as any other form of conveyance approved by the DAR pursuant to Section 27 of R.A. No. 6657, as amended.

SECTION 2. Processing of Cases -

2.1 All  cases under Section 2 hereof  shall be commenced by application and no longer by petition. The party requesting for the cancellation of the title shall accomplish CANCELLATION FORM NO. 1 attached as Annex A.

2.2  The  application  form  for  the  cancellation  of  the  EP,  CLOA,  or  other  title issued  under  any  Agrarian  Reform  program  shall  be  accomplished   by  the Applicant who shall certify under oath as to the truthfulness of all Information supplied  and as to the authenticity  of the requisite  documents  to be attached, thus:

2.2.1  For  cancellation   actions  based  on  a  final  and  executory  ALI Decision:

The  Certificate  of  Finality  of  the  ALI  Decision  as  well  as  a Certified  True  Copy  of  the  Final  and  Executory  Decision  to  be  both issued  by  the  Court  or  Office  which  rendered  and  promulgated  the Decision.

2.2.2 For cancelation actions which are for dismissal by motion of the petitioner(s) or by the parties:

The Motion to Withdraw the Cancellation Action signed by the Petitioner(s) or by all the parties with the participation of their respective counsel or representative.

2.2.3 For cancellation  actions due to the sale, donation,  assignment  of rights,  succession  as  well  as  any  other  form  of  conveyance  of  the awarded land approved by the DAR:

The valid DAR Transfer Clearance issued by the RD of the regin where the property is situated.

2.2.4 For cancellation  actions to correct the entries in the EP, CLOA or other title issued under any Agrarian Reform Program:

The  correct  technical  description  embodied  in  the  proper  Certification issued   by  the  Department   of  Environment   and  Natural   Resources (DENR), together with the Report of the concerned PARPO II.

2.2.5 For all cancellation actions, the certified true copy of the EP, CLOA or  other  title  issued  under  any  Agrarian  Reform  Program,  shall  be submitted and attached to Cancellation Form No. 1.

2.2.6  For  all  cancellation   actions,   any  documentary   proof  that  the registered owner(s) received a copy of the Cancellation Form No. 1

2.3  The Application for Cancellation with the requisite documents attached shall be filed with the PARPO II of the province where the landholding is situated. It is primary duty of he PARPO II  to determine the correctness of the information contained   in   the   Application   Form.   The   PARPO   II  shall   not   accept   the Cancellation Application Form in the following instances:

2.3.1 The information required to be provided in the Application Form is not supplied or the applicant(s) failed to sign the Application Form.

2.3.2 The requisite documents are not attached to the Application.

2.4  The PARPO II shall assign a Cancellation Application Number indicating the time of receipt of the Application Form and shall give the applicant an Acknowledgement Receipt indicating what has been submitted and the time of submission   which  is  designated   as  CANCELLATION   FORM  NO.  2  herein attached as Annex B.

2.5. For cancellation actions based on a final and executory ALI Decision, for cancellation actions for dismissal by motion of the petitioner(s) or the parties, and for cancelation actions with an approved land transfer clearance, for cancelation actions with an approved land transfer clearance, the PARPO II shall submit the Application  Form as well as the requisite  documents  (CANCELLATION  FORM NO.  1)  together  with  the  Acknowledgement  Receipt  (CANCELLATION  FORM NO. 2) to the Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Office (ULAO). The PARPO II shall submit  his/her  recommendation  to  the  ULAO  accomplishing  CANCELLATION FORM NO. 3 herein attached as Annex C.

2.6 For cancellation  actions  based  on the correction  of entries  in the title, the PARPO II shall submit the Application Form as well as the requisite documents (CANCELLATION FORM NO. 1) together with the Acknowledgement Receipt (CANCELLATION   FORM  NO.  2)  to  the  Undersecretary  for  Field  Operations Office (UFOO). The PARPO II shall submit his/her recommendation to the UFOO accomplishing CANCELLATION FORM NO. 3A herein attached as Annex D.

2.7 The ULAO  (or the UFOO  in case of erroneous  technical  description)  shall review   all  the  documents   and  prepare   the  Order  of  Cancellation   of  Title designated as CANCELLATION  FORM NO. 4 herein attached as Annex E. The Order of Cancellation once accomplished  shall be submitted to the Office of the DAR Secretary for final approval. The Order of Cancellation shall include the set of  instructions  to  the  concerned  (PARPO  II)  on  the  implementation   of  the cancellation action.

2.8 The duly approved Order of Cancellation shall be submitted to the concerned PARPO II. A copy of the Order of Cancellation shall be furnished to the Agrarian Reform  Beneficiaries  adversely  affected  by  the  cancellation.  Otherwise,  the PARPO II shall undertake the Cancellation of the EP, CLOA or other title issued under any Agrarian  Reform Program  in accordance  with the instructions  in the Order of Cancellation.

2.9 Should there be other reliefs necessary for the enforcement  of rights based on the newly issued EP, CLOA or other title issued under any Agrarian Reform Program, the concerned  party shall have recourse through the commencement of the  proper  ALI  Case;  or through  the  commencement  of the  proper  judicial action in the court of competent jurisdiction if the case is cognizable by regular courts.

2.10 A person whose rights have been violated as a result of the Cancellation of the EP, CLOA or other title issued under any Agrarian Reform Program may ask for a Revocation of the Order or Cancellation of Cancellation on the ground that the Order of Cancellation was issued due to extrinsic fraud, lack of jurisdiction, or lack of due process. The aggrieved party shall execute a sworn affidavit stating the reason(s)  or basis for revocation  of the Order of Cancellation.  The person shall immediately file the sworn affidavit to the ULAO which shall evaluate the affidavit and recommend action to the Office of the Secretary. The Office of the Secretary  shall  issue  the  order  on  the  grant  or  denial  of  the  request  for revocation.

SECTION 3.  Transitory Provisions.

3.1 All petitions for Cancellation of the EP, CLOA, or other title issued under any Agrarian  Reform  Program  based  on a final and executory  judgment  in an ALI case pending before the PARAD shall be transferred to the concerned PARPO II for processing in accordance with these rules, with notice to all the parties.

3.2 All petitions for Cancellation of the EP, CLOA, or other title issued under any Agrarian Reform Program with an unresolved ALI component pending before the PARAD shall be transferred to the concerned PARPO II to process based on the pertinent rules for ALI cases, with notice to all  the parties.

3.3 All petitions for Cancellations of the EP, CLOA or other title issued under any Agrarian  Reform  Program  based  on a final and executory  judgment  in an ALI case pending before the BALA or ULAO shall be processed in accordance with these rules.

3.4 All petitions of Cancellation of the EP, CLOA, or other title issued under any Agrarian Reform Program with an unresolved ALI component pending before the BALA or ULAO shall be processed based on the pertinent rules for ALI cases.

SECTION 4. Repealing Clause.

All  DAR  Rules  and  Procedures  on  Cancellation  of  EPs,  CLOAs  and other  titles,  under  any  Agrarian  Reform  Program,  including  DAR  A.O.  No.  8, series of 1995, are hereby modified in accordance with this A.O. DAR A.O. No. 6, series of 2011; DAR A.O. No. 07, series of 2014; DAR A.O. No. 1 series of 2017; as well as DAR A.O. No. 6, series of 2014, are hereby repealed. All other DAR issuances inconsistent with this A.O. are hereby accordingly repealed, modified and/or amended.

SECTION   5. Separability Clause   - Any judicial pronouncement declaring as unconstitutional any provision of this A.O. shall have no effect on the validity of the other provisions not affected thereby.

SECTION 6. Effectivity Clause -  This A.O. shall take effect ten (10) days after its publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.