Roxas condemns killing of Sumilao-farmer leader

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today condemned the ambush-slay of a famer-leader in Sumilao, Bukidnon and called for an immediate investigation into the incident.

"Mariin kong kinukondena ang walang-saysay na pagpatay sa lider-magsasakang si Rene Penas, na buong tapang na ipinaglaban ang mga karapatan ng ating mga magsasaka, lalo na ang kanyang mga kasamahang Sumilao farmers," he said following reports that Penas, a long-time member of the Akbayan people's group, was killed by a still unidentified man late Friday night.

"Malaking kawalan si Ka Rene sa hanay ng mga magsasaka. Nakakalungkot na isang putok lamang ng baril ng isang bayarang assassin ang naging katumbas ng kanyang mga ipinaglalabang karapatan at prinsipyo. Nararapat lang na bigyang solusyon agad ng ating mga awtoridad ang krimeng ito," he added.

Penas was shot by a hired assassin at around 11 p.m. Friday while bringing home his farm caretaker. Penas, also a paralegal, has been actively fighting for farmers' rights in Sumilao. He is a strong advocate of reforms in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) law and was among the hundreds of farmers and farm workers pushing for an extension of the program for another 5 years.

The Visayan senator urged local government and police officials in Sumilao to track down the identity of Penas' assassin and identify the mastermind behind the ambush-slay.

"Walang mararating ang ating bansa kung patuloy na mananaig ang dahas upang kitilin ang mga hinaing ng bawat mamamayang naglalabas lamang ng kanilang mga hinaing laban sa gobyerno at sa mga liping mapang-api," he said.

He added: "Bigyan natin ng katarungan ang pagpaslang kay Ka Rene! Patuloy nating ipaglaban ang mga karapatang buong sugid niyang itinulak hanggang sa kanyang kamatayan."

Sunday, June 7, 2009 | posted in agriculture, akbayan, carp, mar roxas, philippines, rene penas, sumilao farmers | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas votes YES on CARP

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today voted in favor of the measure extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) by five more years, withstanding potential conflicts of interests with his and his family’s personal interests.

"I voted ‘YES’ not withstanding serious reservations relative to potential conflicts of interest. I, myself, am a landowner. I am a potential inheritor of lands. And my family also has lands. I have voted in favor of this measure on the premise that such a vote, indeed, does not benefit my interest and my family’s interest but benefits the interests of a greater number of our people, particularly the farmers and the farm workers," he said during Monday’s voting on the CARPer bill.

Roxas’ family is known to own hectares of lands in Roxas City and Negros province, the roots of the senator’s mother’s family.

He admitted his favorable vote could be "subject to attack relative to voting on a matter that benefits me" but insisted that, "I believe that the measure is overwhelmingly in favor of social justice, in favor of the farmers, and in favor of the farm workers."

"It is on that vein that I sought to overcome my own reservations relative to acting on a matter that may have potential conflict of interest and in this matter, have voted ‘yes’," he added.

Congress has been under pressure to approve the final version of the CARPer bill before sessions adjourn sine die on June 5 because the CARP coverage is set to expire on June 30. The House has yet to finish plenary debates on the measure.

Senators have made sure that rights of agrarian reform beneficiaries are not prejudiced and that provisions of the legislative proposal is not watered down.

Monday, June 1, 2009 | posted in agriculture, carp, mar roxas, philippines | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas slams violent dispersal of farmers in Batasan

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas yesterday denounced the violent dispersal of farmers holding a rally in front of the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City on Monday afternoon and slammed Malacañang allies at the House of Representatives for their indifference to the group’s demands.

"Walang mararating ang ating bansa kung pinamumunuan ito ng isang administrasyong nabubuhay sa ilusyong walang ibang mahalagang tinig kundi ang sa sarili niya," he fumed over reports that a team from the Bureau of Fire Protection used water canons to disperse hundreds of rallyists, including Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, who was with the farmers.

"Mariin kong kinukondena ang marahas na pagdi-disperse ng napakaraming mga magsasaka mula sa Batasan kahapon ng hapon. Kasama nila ang mga taong-Simbahan, kabilang si Bishop Roderick Pabillo, mga maralitang tagalungsod, at mga lider mula sa hanay ng manggagawa na nakiisa sa kanilang mga hangarin," he added.

The rallyists, composed mostly of farmers from all over the country, have been holding a vigil infront of the Batasan Pambansa since April 13. They are clamoring for an extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), which is due to expire on June 30. CARP ensures the farmers’ rights over the lands they till.

The House began its marathon sessions on Monday to pass priority measures eight days before Congress adjourns sine die on June 5. It has at least 12 measures in its unfinished business, including Speaker Prospero Nograles' House Resolution 737 seeking to amend the Constitution's economic provision; the bill for the extension of the CARP with reforms and another measure related to the 2010 elections.

"Matagal nang inaantay ng mga magsasaka ang makatarungang resolusyon sa problema ng repormang pang-agraryo. Malinaw ang ginagawang pagtapak sa karapatan ng ating mga magsasaka. Anumang hinaing, mula sa magsasaka o sa ano pa mang sektor ng lipunan, kailangan itong dinggin sa isang makataong paraan. Hindi tayo aabot sa maayos na solusyon kung sa tuwinang may maglalabas ng kanilang saloobin ay bobombahin sila ng tubig," the Visayan senator said.

"Kasangga ako ng mga api, at patuloy tayong lalaban para sa makatarungang resolusyon sa mga hinaing ng ating magsasaka," he vowed.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 | posted in agriculture, broderick pabillo, carp, mar roxas, philippines, president | 0 comments [ More ]

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.

---

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 ]

Roxas pushes for Comprehensive Database on Agrarian Reform

Senator Mar Roxas today pushed for the creation of a comprehensive database on agrarian reform as a parallel effort to extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), which expires this year.

Speaking before a Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) caucus on agrarian reform on Wednesday, Roxas stressed that proponents of CARP's extension must show a way forward that would result to better incomes and poductivity in the countryside.

“There must be an established and agreed upon database that would contain all the pertinent data on agrarian reform. How many lands have been and yet to be covered, how many agrarian reform beneficiaries are there and how their lives have changed due to CARP, how many families have yet to benefit, how much funding is available, among other intricate details,” he said.

“This way, we will be able to determine what are the real needs of our farmers, if there’s a need to spend more money on CARP, and how to spend it to have meaningful impact to the lives of families in the countryside,” he said.

Roxas said the process of extending CARP is much more complex than just passing one consolidated bill extending the same CARP law. Other factors, such as access to financing and farm inputs, government support programs to build competencies in support of land and farm inputs distribution, among others, have to be thought-out carefully as well.

“Through CARP extension together with reforms, there can be a convergence of resources, full support services and packages on top of land distribution. Our goal is not simply to extend carp but to ensure that this program will result to better incomes and better lives for farmer-beneficiaries,” he said.

“We should not extend CARP only for the sake of extending it. There must also be genuine reforms, else, it will be just more of the same, we will just be repeating the mistakes of the past,” he stressed.

Sunday, March 2, 2008 | posted in carp, cbcp, mar roxas, pgma, philippines, president | 0 comments [ More ]

Sen. Mar Roxas with CBCP

Senator Mar Roxas and several lawmakers (right photo) discuss the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP, left photo), in a meeting Thursday morning at the Pope Pius Catholic Center in Paco, Manila.

Roxas stressed that any extension of the CARP should not be “for the sake of extending it,” and that the law required changes to ensure that farmer-beneficiaries are given not just land but an assistance package that would include farm inputs and implements. With Roxas are Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III, Cagayan De Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel. Representatives of the CBCP included (left to right) Revs. Bernardo Cortez, Martin Jumoad and Jose Oliveros, former Commission on Elections Chairman Christian Monsod, Revs. Antonio Ledesma, Honesto Pacana, Edwin De La Peña and Buenaventura Famadico.

Thursday, February 28, 2008 | posted in carp, cbcp, lorenzo tañada iii, mar roxas, nene pimentel, philippines, rufus rodriguez | 0 comments [ More ]