UN Diplomat Calls for Full Implementation of CARP

United Nations Diplomat, Prof. Virginia Dandan, member and former chair of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR), pointed out that the Philippine government is not only bound to legislate the extension of CARP but, more importantly, it is obligated to fully implement the program and ensure that the law guarantees and fulfills the rights of the landless and poor farmers.  Prof. Dandan expressed this in the recent conference entitled “Agrarian Reform and Human Dignity: Converging Perspectives and Actions for the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER)” recently held at the UP Hotel and participated in by CHR Commissioner Leila de Lima, Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, Atty. Christian Monsod, Gerry Bulatao, and representatives from the DAR, the academe, farmers’ groups and other agrarian reform advocates.

Rep. Lagman, who was designated by Speaker Prospero Nograles to represent the House of Representatives, reiterated that  the agrarian reform program is a mandate of no less than the Philippine Constitution and the Congress must fulfill the same.  As a matter of fact, the House of Representatives has recently identified the members of the Technical Working Group (TWG), among them are Atty. Christian Monsod, Bishop Broderick Pabillo and Rep. Elias Bulut (Apayao).  According to the legislator, the TWG was given until May 4 to submit its report to the House for its immediate deliberation and enactment. 

During the open forum, Mark Amor of Mindanao Farmworkers Development Center (MFDC) asked Rep. Lagman about the alleged proposal from the Congress to have a moratorium on Compulsory Acquisition (CA) as a mode of land acquisition for 2 years.  Rep. Lagman immediately denied that there is such a proposal and said, “There is no proposal from the House as far as I know.  I am not sure with the Senate.  Maybe we could ask the representatives of the senators who are present here.”  The representatives of Sen. Mar Roxas and Sen. Gringo Honasan said they do not know of the alleged moratorium proposal while the representative of Sen. Miriam Santiago neither confirmed nor denied the allegation. 

However, DAR ASec Dominador Andres categorically stated that there was indeed such a proposal during the deliberations this week at the senate put forward by one senator whom he did not identify.  Atty. Monsod was the last to speak saying “We ask our senators and the President not to resort to any hypocrisy by granting a 5 year extension of CARP but putting a 2 year moratorium on CA.  This will unleash a state of violence and turbulence in the countryside among our farmers.” 

The farmers present expressed continued vigilance.  They asked for continuous support for CARPER and defend compulsory acquisition as a primary mode in CARP.  They also asked for help in opposing House Resolution 737 which allows foreign ownership of lands in the Philippines.