House to tackle CARP next week

The House of Representatives will take up again next week a bill that seeks to extend the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) by five more years.

“We will prioritize the bill starting Wednesday up to next Wednesday before we adjourn for the Christmas holidays,” Speaker Prospero Nograles told reporters after presiding over a closed-door caucus of congressmen early last night.

However, he said there is no assurance that the House would approve the CARP extension measure.

“We will take a straw vote in a caucus and possibly a plenary vote on Wednesday. As of now, I can tell you that the House is divided on CARP,” he said.

He said in case he and his colleagues decide to extend the program, they would pass a simple extension bill without the reforms that certain members are advocating.

Catholic bishops and farmers’ groups have been lobbying for the extension of CARP so that lands that have not been distributed to their tillers could be given to them.

Last week, a group of farmers from Negros Occidental marched to the House to demand that three haciendas owned by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and his brother Rep. Jose Ignacio Arroyo be distributed to their tenants.

The farmers said since President Arroyo promised in 2001 that CARP would cover lands owned by her husband’s family, the property has not been farmed out to their tenant-tillers.

Rep. Risa Hontiveros of Akbayan, who supports the extension of CARP, said Rep. Arroyo and Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia of Cebu reiterated their opposition to the extension bill in yesterday’s caucus.

She said Congress is fast running out of time to approve the measure since even if the House could pass it next week, it will still have to go to the Senate for approval.