Bishops seek dialogue with Arroyo for genuine agrarian reform

MANILA, Philippines - Catholic bishops on Friday said that they will seek a dialogue with President Arroyo to ensure the implementation of genuine agrarian reform in the counry before the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) expires in June. Second National Rural Congress chairman Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma said all they want is to bring to Arroyo's attention concrete cases related to issues on land reform. "We are hoping for that (dialogue with Arroyo) but as of now I think her schedule is also very tight so we are still waiting for the schedule," Ledesma said in a statement on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website. He said another regional consultation for the NRC-2 for Northern Luzon regions will be held in June, adding the presence of some Palace officials is expected. Ledesma said the June gathering will somehow serve as venue in their efforts to secure a dialogue with the government. The prelate said the purpose of the NRC-2 regional consultations is for them to collect position papers of various peasants groups pressing for their right to own lands. He said the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB) is one of those that have also been raised by several lawmakers in different local consultations and regional assemblies. Ledesma said all they want is land for the tillers and they will support any program that would push for the same cause. "There's no contradiction to that. In fact what the GARB would like to do is to have a radical implementation of the measure of giving support to small farmers," he said. Ledesma said the current call of the CBCP for CARP extension "no matter how imperfect" is based on constitutional provision for "social reform." Militant party-list groups Gabriela, Bayan Muna and Anakpawis had filed last year the GARB that would replace the CARP of 1988. The pending bill is also known as "An Act Instituting Genuine Agrarian Reform in the Country and Creating the Mechanism For its Implementation and Other Purposes." It emphasizes free land distribution to deserving farmer beneficiaries and the dismantling of land monopoly now prevalent in the country. - GMANews.TV