Bishops set Thursday meet with House members on CARP

MANILA, Philippines - After getting an assurance from the Senate on the matter, Catholic bishops will meet Thursday with members of the House of Representatives on extending the agrarian reform law. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said Thursday’s meeting aims to take up the passage of a bill for the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) with reforms. "It’s the day of reckoning on CARPER," Pabillo said in an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas. Excerpts of the interview were posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines website Tuesday. Pabillo, who chairs the CBCP’s the National Secretariat for Social Action, has been a vocal supporter of farmers seeking genuine agrarian reform. He said the dialogue will be held at the office of House Speaker Prospero Nograles at around noon. Nograles is expected to lead some 15 lawmakers at the meeting. Bishops expected to participate in Thursday’s meeting include Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Bernardino Cortez and Bishops Mylo Vergara of San Jose (Nueva Ecija), Buenaventura Famadico of Gumaca and Joel Baylon of Masbate. Also to attend the meeting are representatives of peasant groups and former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Christian Monsod, who serves as counsel for the farmers. Pabillo said they are hoping that the lawmakers will consider their appeal to extend the implementation of CARP with reforms and sufficient funding. He said the Catholic Church’s campaign is gaining ground after the Senate, in a meeting with the bishops earlier this month, assured the immediate passage of the bill extending CARP. During the meeting at the Senate, senators assured the bishops they will pass Senate Bill 2666, which includes a P147-billion allocation for the five-year extension of CARP. - GMANews.TV