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Nograles creates special committee to study CARP

Vol. XXI, No. 223-A [ BusinessWorld Online ]
Saturday, June 14, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

After the House of Representatives on Tuesday decided to defer the voting on the passage of the bill that would extend for five years the effectivity of the 20-year-old Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), Speaker Prospero C. Nograles this week created a special committee that would study the old agrarian reform law and possibly come up with a new legislation.

"The House of Representatives is not abandoning the fight to give CARP a new lease in life."

Mr. Nograles said in a statement, as he pointed out that one option that is being seriously considered by the House is to come up with "entirely new and improved agrarian reform legislation."

In his adjournment speech last Wednesday, the Speaker announced that he has created a special committee that would craft and consolidate all amendments to the agrarian reform law "that shall be truly beneficial to our farmers."

"The situation is not hopeless because while we maintain our legal position that the agrarian reform law is still in effect until Dec. 31 of this year, we also have the option to simply come up with a new agrarian reform law which we can fast-track during the second regular session. We are not giving up on CARP," Mr. Nograles said.

The committee, whose members Mr. Nograles described as the "best legal minds of the House," is composed of Deputy Speaker and Cebu Rep. Pablo P. Garcia (2nd District), Majority Leader and Iloilo Rep. Arthur D. Defensor Sr. (3rd District), Albay Rep. Edcel C. Lagman (1st District), Camarines Sur Rep. Luis R. Villafuerte (2nd District) and Minority Leader San Juan Rep. Ronaldo B. Zamora. Mr. Nograles yesterday maintained that the government, through the

Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) can still continue with its program of acquiring untilled and unproductive lands, whether public or privately-owned, and distributing it to farmer beneficiaries.

"Even with the inaction of the Senate on the Joint Resolution 21 that maintains the effectivity of the land acquisition and distribution (LAD) component of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1998, the DAR can still continue with the LAD program unless the Supreme Court declares otherwise," he said.

The Speaker admitted that while it would have been ideal had the Senate acted swiftly and favorably on the joint resolution which he authored and adopted by the members of the House before 14th Congress adjourned its first regular session, "this does not diminish the effect of the House’s position that Republic Act 6657, otherwise known as the Agrarian Reform Law of 1998, has not completely expired since its LAD component will still end on Dec. 31, 2008."

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