Author: DAVAO TODAY

Lawyer Leilani Espejo, legal counsel for the Lapanday Foods Corporation says they have not yet received the cease and desist order issued by the Department of Agrarian Reform over the land dispute inside the reclaimed area by a group of agrarian reform beneficiaries in Madaum, Tagum City as of Friday morning, Dec. 16, 2016. Lapanday is asserting their management rights over the land because of the compromise agreement entered by the Hijo Employees Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative-1, from which the protesting farmers bolted out. (Robby Joy Salveron/davaotoday.com)

Lapanday Foods Corporation Chief Finance Officer Manolito Dagatan says the total damage of the estimated 15 hectares of banana crops cut down by protesting farmers inside the plantation in Barangay Madaum, Tagum City costs $120,000. Dagatan says the 150-hectare occupied by members of the Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association Inc. comprise three percent of the total volume of production of Lapanday. (Maricar Emata/davaotoday.com)

Col. Gilbert I. Gapay delivers his speech as he assumes the position as the new ?commander of the Joint Task Force Haribon. The Change of Command Ceremony was held on Thursday, Dec. 15 at the Naval Station, Panacan, Davao City. (Robby Joy Salveron/davaotoday.com)