Press Release
December 28, 2008

Gloria in no-win situation over CARP extension issue

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is in a no-win situation whichever action she will take on Joint Congressional Resolution 19 extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) by six months.

Pimentel said the President will find herself being severely criticized whether she approves or vetoes the resolution or allow it to lapse into law.

If Mrs. Arroyo will sign the resolution into law, she will incur the ire of agrarian reform farmers who are against this legislation for suspending the compulsory acquisition of private lands which will defeat the purpose of CARP, he said.

The farmers have been campaigning for a longer extension not only of land acquisition but also of land distribution for at least five years.

On the other hand, Pimentel said the President will appear inconsistent if she approves the resolution because the original measure she had certified recommended the continued compulsory land acquisition and distribution.

He said the President's difficult situation can be partly blamed on the actuation of her son, Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo, who had reportedly lobbied hard among his colleagues for the approval of the resolution by the House of Representatives.

The opposition senator said Mikey's actuation gave the impression that he was in favor of the resolution because of a selfish motive in the light of the fact that one of the properties that have been placed under CARP is Hacienda Bacan in Negros Occidental owned by his father, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and his brother, Rep. Ignacio Arroyo.

Since resolution suspends the compulsory acquisition of and distribution of new farmlands, this may be interpreted to mean that the government may have to back off from taking over Hacienda Bacan and other large plantations.

Pimentel said he could very well understand Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman for reportedly recommending the veto of Resolution 19 to the President.

But he said if the President vetoes the measure, the consequences may be more harmful because this means CARP will automatically expire and so is the funding for the program.

But since the administration will not risk such dire consequences and the President cannot afford to offend leaders of Congress, she may just allow the resolution to lapse into law, a scenario painted by Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio.

Based on constitutional procedures, failure on the part of the President to sign any law or resolution within 30 days after receiving it will result in its automatically becoming effective as a law.

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