It appears that the Department of Agrarian Reform attempted to checkmate CARP stakeholders at the Dumaguete City  hearing  Friday by the House Agrarian Committee, headed by Rep. Edgar Valdez, the committee vice chair.

Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District) has pointed out that the Dumaguete hearing was poorly organized and not properly disseminated. Thus, none of Negros Occidental solons were able to attend the hearing.

Ferrer, himself a member of the House committee, said he had suggested Bacolod as the best venue to hold the congressional hearing on CARP so that both the pro and anti-CARP groups may ventilate their positions on whether CARP deserves to be extended or not.

But he pointed out that his main concern was for the agrarian reform beneficiaries to be given the support services needed, as provided for by law, to make their lands productive.

Even former Rep. Herminio Teves (Neg. Or., 3rd District) said he got the letter of invitation only a day before the public hearing.

Worse, former Senator John Osmeña had been given  the bum steer and informed that the Dumaguete hearing was scheduled on Saturday instead of Friday. But the Cebu former solon managed to attend the Digos, Davao del Sur, hearings.

It was learned that many Negros Oriental ARBs, who were not allowed  into the hearing venue, went on air later to express their grievances.         

Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu) claimed that CARP has failed to improve the lives of farmers and  he cited loopholes in the law which contributed much to its failure.

CARP had made farmers more impoverished instead of uplifting their economic conditions, Garcia said.

The groups from Negros Occidental discovered later that the DAR allegedly had rented 28 Ceres bus liners which ferried ARBs from Bohol, Cebu and Siquijor. Strangely ARBs from Oriental Negros were reportedly not allowed into the hearing venue.

The Negros Occidental groups managed to submit the survey by the provincial government on the 18 years of CARP implementation in the province, which shows findings  that 97 percent of the ARBs claimed that they have not availed of any form of support services.

Negros Occidental Acting Gov. Isidro Zayco yesterday also questioned why  the House committee did not hold the hearing on CARP in Bacolod so the sentiments of the stakeholders in the province can be heard.*RLE

back to top