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Senate lauded for quick action on CARP bill

(House slammed for ignoring )

Source : MARVYN N. BENANING

May 21, 2009, 5:59 PM

Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation

Task Force Mapalad (TFM) has good words for the Senate, which struck out three "killer" amendments to Senate Bill 2666, which extends the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

TFM members went to the senate on Wednesday and lauded its members who heeded the call to deliberate on the measure and eventually vote on it.

Eledelyn Paclibar, TFM’s CARP extension campaigner, stressed the Senate is consolidating the amendments.

"We are hoping that the Senators would immediately vote on the bill and pass it soon," said Paclibar.

She said the farmers were grateful that senators desisted from including three proposed provisions that they perceived to be "killer" amendments.

The proposed amendments included phasing of land acquisition and distribution per province with priority on lands 50 hectares and bigger, allowing reconsolidation of lands by landowners after the 10-year moratorium on transfer of awarded lands, and removing cases from the jurisdiction of the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (DARAB) and putting them under the jurisdiction of the regular courts.

These three amendments had been opposed by social democratic groups, farmers and their support groups and a section of the Roman Catholic Church.

In a statement, they pleaded with the senators "to ensure that amendments that could water down the CARP and would defeat the purpose of the agrarian reform program shall not be included in the final version of the bill."

"We are happy that these amendments were not included in the final Senate version of the extension bill," said Paclibar.

While praising the Senate for expediting the measure, Paclibar chastised the House of Representatives for ignoring the pending House version of the extension bill.

"It’s only several session days left and they have not held any discussion on the bill. They are busy pushing Charter change, which the farmers will surely oppose at this time. We will consider Charter change only when this administration is no longer in power," she said.

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