Hundreds of billions of taxpayers' money in danger because of CARP extension

PRESS RELEASE

July 30, 2009

With the House of Representative' s ratification of Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) extension, hundreds of billions of taxpayers' money is in danger to be used in questionable purposes as it is alloted with P150 billion fund for its 5-year extension, claimed the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines) .

"This is another letdown not just for the peasantry but for all Filipinos whose hard-toiled paid taxes are to go straight to the landlords without realizing land reform," said Danilo Ramos, KMP Secretary-General.

"The previous budget of P162 billion for the 20-year implementation of CARP is yet to be accounted, another P150 billion, this time for only a period of 5 years is to be used," added Ramos.

The Dept. of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) claim that is has accomplished 82% of CARP target or 7.4 million of the 9 million hectares working scope. Moreover, DAR said it has covered 4.1 million hectares for 2.4 million farmer-beneficiarie s (FBs).

"We should clarify that being covered is not equal to land distribution as farmer-beneficiarie s are paying for the lands. Until they have no titles, the Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) and Emancipation Patents (EP) are easily to be cancelled. These government data are really questionable as our local members in our 15 regional chapters and 65 provincial chapters always face agrarian disputes and displacement. We could also mobilize tens of thousands of peasants nationwide as they experience landlessness and dislocation, " said Ramos.

The group said that for the 20-year implementation of CARP, Filipino peasants remained landless and the budget was only plundered by landlords, pseudo-peasant groups and corrupt DAR officials. They also believed that the extension of CARP would be worse as it is allocated with a huge budget for a shorter period of 5 years.

"CARP has also kept the landlord control over vast lands as only 7% of their claimed accomplishment is under compulsory acquisition (CA). Also, about half of the FBs or 1.2 million are not to be owners of their lands but under leasehold and stock distribution option (SDO), non-land transfer schemes to benefit landlords," said Ramos.

"Worse, CARP would be a financial blackhole for the country as it would use public money without realizing genuine land reform. After 5 years, pro-CARP groups should be held accountable for the wasted money which could have benefited the peasantry," said Ramos.

Moreover, while KMP is calling for the junking of CARP, it is pushing for the passage of House Bill 3059 or Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB), proposed by KMP Chair and Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano, together Bayan Muna and Gabriela Women's Party.

"We are calling the attention of every Filipino paying their taxes as it would be used inappropriately. We should support GARB and not CARP, as it is the only bill that proposes `free land distribution' to shatter landlord control over the lands and uplift the lives of the poor Filipino peasants," called Ramos.#