Bishop Tells Government: Listen to Farmers’ Demand

Negros Occidental Bishop Vicente Navarra has urged Malacañang and Congress to stop giving the farmers the runaround and instead listen to their demand for land distribution and for extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) with reforms.

In a homily during a concelebrated mass held at the San Sebastian Cathedral here where some 500 protest marchers from various haciendas all over the province had gathered, Navarra said the Catholic Church fully supports the farmers’ demand for CARP extension because it is a “preferential option for the poor.”

“Our farmers are hungry. They are not only hungry for lack of food, they are not only hungry for land, they are also hungry for social justice,” said the bishop.

Navarra said the government should join in performing the Christian duty of giving preferential options for the poor in order to improve not only their lives but also the future of society.

“The reason why our farmers are in their situation right now is because of the greed—pardon my expression—of some people,” said Navarra.

Navarra gave his blessings to the peasant marchers who proceeded to the pier after the mass to take their boat for Manila.

The farmers belonging to various federations launched last Saturday a march dubbed “Lakat Mag-uuma Tungo sa Makabuluhang Repormang Panakahan” (Farmers’ March for Meaningful Agrarian Reform) to press for enactment of a law extending CARP with reforms.

Participating in the march are Task Force Mapalad, the 12-member coalition Negros CARP Reform Movement (NCRM), Negros Occidental Federation of Farmers Associations (NOFFA)-Unorka, and Akbayan Party-List.

Backed by advocate groups and religious leaders, the farmers arrived here Sunday to prepare for their journey to Manila where they said they will ask President Arroyo to spearhead the advocacy for enactment of CARP extension.

Jose Rodito Angeles, president of Task Force Mapalad, a major organizer of the march, said this is the farmers’ final call for the Arroyo administration to ensure CARP extension with reforms.

“Our campaign is mainly to call on President Arroyo to ensure the passage of CARP extension with reforms. She had certified the extension bill as urgent, and she can call on her supporters in Congress to immediately pass the CARP extension bill,” said Angeles.

Angeles said it is useless for them to call on Congress to pass the CARP extension law since the cue for having it passed comes from the President.

“Right now the fate of CARP lies in the hands of the President. She is the one person left who can make possible the enactment of CARP extension,” said Angeles.

The farmers will gather at the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) office in Intramuros before proceeding to their final destination, Malacanang Palace.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: INBOX is an archive of press releases, statements, announcements, letters to the editors, and manifestos sent to PinoyPress for publication. Please email your materials to pinoypress @ gmail.com. PinoyPress is not responsible for the content of these materials. The opinion expessed in these items does not reflect those of PinoyPress and its staff. Please refer to our terms of use/disclaimer.