Thursday, June 4, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES [ BusinessWorld Online ]
BOTH HOUSES of Congress have basically agreed to extend the agrarian reform program by another five years, but differences over funding could delay approval of a final measure beyond an end-June deadline.
On Monday, the Senate approved Senate Bill 2666, while the House as of press time was voting, and was expected to okay, House Bill 4077. Both measures call for a five year-extension, restore compulsory land acquisition and distribution, and establish a congressional oversight panel.
The Senate bill, however, allocates a budget of P147 billion, while the House’s states that the program be provided at least P100 billion.
With a six-month extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) expiring at the end of June, the question was whether Congress still had time to reconcile both versions, with plenary effectively having ended yesterday and the second regular session formally closing this Friday.
Legislators said a bicameral conference committee would settle the issue, and added that a special session of Congress could be called to ratify the measure.
Speaking prior to the House vote, Albay Rep. Edcel C. Lagman (1st district), HB 4077’s principal sponsor, said "we are looking to see if we can come to an agreement."
"As the bill is certified as urgent by Malacañang ... a special session will be called. As soon as we agree on the budget, the reconciled version can immediately be signed by the President," he added.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said Congress would have to work overtime during the break to approve the bill.
"We need to ratify this. If a special session is what is called for, then we will willingly work overtime," he said.
A certification by President Gloria Macapagal had paved the way for simultaneous second and third reading approvals of the measures, and the House had originally said it would be adopting the Senate’s budget allocation.
Approval of a new CARP would have allowed Congress to pass all four major bills it had promised to approve at the start of the year. Already under its belt are this year’s P1.415-trillion national budget, an increased deposit insurance coverage, and a new rent control law.
____________________________________________________________________________________