The Catholic Church has vowed to monitor the implementation of the law extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with reforms (CARPer).

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said there is a need to “guard” the implementation of the program to ensure the allotted budget goes to intended beneficiaries.

“It’s implementation must be guarded in favor of the farmers. The money allotted for it must be used with accountability and justice,” he said over Church-run Radio Veritas 846.

In fact, a group called “Sulong CARPer” was formed by the Church to do the monitoring.

“This is the same group which fought for the passage of CARPer. Now it will monitor the problems on CARPer as well as guard any law in Congress that might water down the bill,” Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said.

Pabillo, CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action Justice and Peace chairman, also urged the public to be vigilant for the sake of the farmers.

“Let us continue to be vigilant in order for this law to really be useful to farmers,” he said.

“Let us give due importance to our farmers because it is from them that we get our food yet they are often neglected. We should take note of their needs and support them,” added Pabillo.

President Arroyo on Friday signed the consolidated version of the bill into law extending CARP for another five years. Malacañang said the signing of Republic Act 9700 or CARP extension with reforms is the government’s response to the plea of farmers to extend the program, which expired last year.

The CARPer law has a P100-billion allocation for land acquisition and distribution, support services, agrarian justice delivery and other funding requirements during the extension period.