[ tribune.net.ph ] 03/21/2009
Lawmakers have agreed to expedite deliberations on the bill giving the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) a new lease in life, or an extension of five years, ensuring its approval before Congress goes on sine die adjournment in June.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said following an almost two-hour dialog, senators and congressmen agreed to convene a technical working group (TWG) to facilitate the crafting of a common position on the CARP extension bill, instead of coming up with their respective versions of the measure.
“Time is of the essence. We can not just dribble this like a ball. It’s the general public that is concerned here,” Enrile said in briefing reporters as to what was discussed by the bicameral panel handling the bill.
“I think we are of one mind to pass the law before we go into sine die in June,” he added.
The CARP’s term is due to lapse in June and various sectors have appealed for its extension since there are still a number of parcel of lands that have yet to be awarded to their intended farmer-beneficiaries.
“We will organize a TWG for each side and we will also invite the concerned sectors to participate in the discussion of these TWGs so that we can come up with a common version if possible. We will have to work hard and attempt to use our best efforts to pass a law before we go on a sine die break in June,” Enrile said.
He noted that senators and congressmen have a few issues related to the matter of extending CARP but that they can be threshed out during the deliberations.
Enrile, though, bared that “compulsory acquisition” will be an an important component of the bill, and will be proposed to be applied to CARP-covered areas measuring 50 hectares or more.
“But we will prioritize the safeguards so that those covered will not try to circumvent the law, to prevent them from complying with the law. Those below the compulsory land acquisition, they will maintain the integrity of these lands until the state will decide whether to bring down the size of land to be compulsorily acquired and we will do this province by province,” he said.
“We cannot confiscate lands. We cannot confiscate lands without paying just compensation,” he moreover stressed, adding that P147 billion will be their “benchmark” in the implementation of the CARP’s extension for a period of five years. Angie M. Rosales
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