Sunday, May 10, 2009 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
THE amendment and extension to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp) bill will be passed before its deadline on June 30, said Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Saturday.
Pimentel hopes that Senate Bill (SB) 2666, which seeks for a 10-year extension of the Carp, will be passed on May 15, the feast day of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of good harvest.
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He added that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile assured him the measure will be passed before Congress goes on mandatory recess on June 6.
"In fact, he (Enrile) wants it passed this week," according to Pimentel despite Senate agrarian reform committee chairman Gregorio Honasan saying the law might not be passed on time.
SB 2666 seeks to allocate a 147-billion fund, 40 percent of which will be allocated for support services to make sure the farmers would be able to develop their land, as well as allow liberalized terms on credit facilities and production loans.
Pimentel is also optimistic that the House of Representatives will do their part in passing its counterpart bill, which is contained in House Bill 4077 authored by Albay representative Edcel Lagman and Akbayan representative Risa Hontiveros-Baraquiel, calling for the extension of Carp for another five years.
"The problem is how fast the House can do their part," the minority leader said, adding that both Houses' approval is needed for the extension.
In an earlier report, six new party-list lawmakers issued a manifesto calling for the fast passage of the measure.
Akbayan representative Walden Bello, ARC representative Oscar Francisco, ABA-AKO representative Leonardo Montemayor, Amin representative Ariel Hernandez, Coop-Nattcoo representative Cresente Paez and Abakada representative Jonathan dela Cruz said they want to spend their little time in the House to push the most critical pieces of reform legislation, which includes the Carp extension.
The six lawmakers then signed themselves up as co-authors of HB 4077.
"Time is running out in Congress...we cannot afford nor tolerate more delays," they said.
Pimentel, meanwhile, hit Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman for his inaction involving the passage of the Carp bill.
"The biggest stumbling block to the amendments of Carp is Secretary Pangandaman because he does not seem to care," the senator lamented, pointing out that he has not seen the secretary's presence in any of the Senate hearings on the Carp.
"Pangandaman should be replaced, he is not fit for agrarian reform," Pimentel added. (Justine Paredes/Sunnex)
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