Senator Roxas breaks his silence in his vote on Enrile and CARP

Much has been said about Senator Mar Roxas' vote to oust then Senate President Manny Villar and replace him with Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

Many people, including me, were disappointed with Senator Roxas' abstention to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension Bill (CARP) despite its swift passage in the Senate.

But now, Senator Roxas has broken his silence on the issue.

In his Facebook account, he shared his notes on why he voted to oust then Senate President Villar and abstained in the CARP Extension bill.

After reading it, I got his point on CARP. The extension was just a short-term solution. It was like extending a toothless law. He advocates for a real land reform.

Below is the transcript about his explanation on the two issues:

Hi all. I've been reading and replying to private messages during the Christmas break and I thought I'd share some of them with everyone.

Here's one regarding Senate President Enrile: Nagtatanong po kayo kung bakit ko binoto si Senator Enrile para maging SP (You were asking why I voted for Senator Enrile to be the Senate President). This isn't the most pressing issue now, but in the spirit of transparency, I'd like to tell you why I voted for him. Back then it had come down to a choice between the then-SP or anyone else. We could have let the days dragged on with a leader we couldn't trust anymore... but the Senate simply can't function in that manner. Sen. Enrile was the only one who we could agree on enough to muster the necessary votes to replace the then-SP.

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Here's another one regarding my take on the CARP Extension: Lets be honest here: This so-called extension bill does not work. It does not extend the program. It merely extends funding for land acquired before the program expired. There will be no new acquisition and distribution of land with this bill. And even when land is distributed, our farmers still don't have adequate tools and know-how to make use of it. The land merely becomes idle or is sold back to the original landowner.

So, for me, voting yes to this bill would have meant betraying the very spirit of land reform. You may ask, then, why didn't I just say no in the first place?

Because a no symbolizes that I am against land reform per se. Or it might be interpreted as that by some sectors or entities. I didn't want that message to come across.

I do favor the implementation of CARP, but we don't need another version of an incomprehensive agrarian reform program. What we need are reforms that carry weight, not extensions of toothless laws. The CARP should be a genuine vehicle for social justice and economic development.

We still have time to craft a land reform law that could only be implemented by the next administration, which would be more dependable than this Arroyo regime. The new law must include services like low-interest and long-term credit facilities; seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation; and adequate drying and milling capabilities.

Neither a yes or a no would have worked in this particular case. I abstained because I stand for real land reform. And I'm hoping we could work together to achieve that. Thanks though for being genuinely interested in the plight of our farmers.

Friday, January 9, 2009 | posted in carl, carp, juan ponce enrile, manny villar, mar roxas, pgma, philippines, president | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas bares LP position on CARL

Senator Mar Roxas, the Liberal Party President, said that his party will be pushing for an extension of the agrarian reform program, but only with changes in the present law which would truly benefit the farmer.

“The LP’s stand is: Farmers deserve real change. What is needed especially in this time of high prices is the strengthening of our farm sector, with government providing all the help it can provide,” Roxas said.

The senator noted that the party position was the result of intensive policy discussions, where the effectiveness of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) was assessed and deemed to have lacked support services to empower farmers to better manage their land.

“What is needed is for real social justice to come about from an extension of CARL, not empty promises. While we favor the extension of CARL, we also see the need for reforms to make it a genuine vehicle for social justice and economic development,” he said.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce said that the LP would push for a 5-year extension of the law, focusing on several points.

“First, land must be made productive and be profitable for farmers. The prevalent situation since 1988 has been a farmer being awarded his own land, but because of the lack of tools and know-how, the land becomes idle or is sold back to the original landowner,” he said.

To empower the farmers, following support services must be provided:

• Readily available low-interest and long-term credit facilities;
• Seeds, fertilizers, irrigation and other inputs;
• Adequate drying and milling capabilities;
• Market access;
• Training and capacity-building; and
• Full support of the Department of Agriculture, local government units and the Department of Agrarian Reform as partners-for-change.

Second, Roxas said the principle of fairness and transparency must be applied to all stakeholders. The LP proposes:

• Settlement of all previous land acquisition as a confidence-building measure for the next wave of reformed lands;
• Just and prompt payment to all landowners for their CARP-subjected land;
• Fairness and transparency in resolving disputes on land valuation and ownership; and
• Clearly specified sources of funds for the next phase of CARP to ensure sustainability and effective implementation.

In policy discussions, Roxas said the Liberal Party also agreed that the current rice and food crisis requires a strict prohibition in the conversion of irrigated farmlands.

“These lands were irrigated for a long-term purpose, and the amount spent on this should not go to waste. The present rice crisis can be blamed in part on the mismanagement of irrigated lands,” he said.

Sunday, May 25, 2008 | posted in carl, carp, da, dar, mar roxas, pgma, philippines, president | 0 comments [ More ]