The Court of Appeals has issued a decision favoring Riverforest Development Corporation (RDC) in a decades-long land dispute case in Hermosa.
RDC develops the more than 200 hectares Litton property in Barangay Sumalo. RDC Estate Development Manager Dani Beltran said the CA decision affirmed the property is not covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) since it is not agricultural and would be more useful in other uses.
The decision said the Department of Agrarian Reform erred in revoking the conversion order of the property.
The decision of CA also agreed with the Supreme Court decision in 2007 allowing the conversion to industrial of the Litton property.
Beltran added the decision supports the Torres Resolution from the Office of the President in 1997 approving the conversion of the 216 hectares Litton estate in Sumalo.
He hailed the decision as victory for the people of Sumalo.
RDC has already prepared a blueprint development plan to turn Litton property into a bustling industrial territory complementing the vision of Hermosa local government.
He said the plan included improving the lives of Sumalo residents by providing jobs and donating to them the residential lots they occupy.
