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By Sammy Martin Reporter
After Congress failed to pass a
bill on extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, or
CARP, the House of Representatives approved on third and final
reading a joint resolution “maintaining” the effectivity of the
Land Acquisition and Distribution component of the program until the
end of the year.
Voting 194 to 1, the House
approved Joint Resolution 21 filed by Speaker Prospero Nograles,
Majority Floor Leader Arthur Defensor, Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay,
Rep. Luis Villafuerte of Camarines Sur and Rep. Pablo Garcia of Cebu.
Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson of Negros
Occidental rejected on the resolution.
CARP’s life ended on June 10.
Nograles had assured that the proposal on the extension of the
agrarian program will be approved before Congress adjourns today.
Before the approval of the
effectivity of the CARP component, Nograles said the House would
immediately transmit the measure to the Senate for adoption before
Congress goes on recess.
“There’s just too many
contentious issues that we cannot put together. Rather than forcing
a vote which may lead to the complete demise of the CARL
[Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law], the House leadership is taking
another legal and constitutional avenue to extend the life of the
law,” he added.
The Speaker said he had asked
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri to convince his colleagues in the Senate to
adopt the House version so that the proposed legislation would take
effect immediately without going through the bicameral conference
committee.
Malacañang said calling for a
special session of Congress to tackle the proposal to extend CARP is
no longer necessary because the law will remain in effect until
December this year.
Executive Secretary Eduardo
Ermita said he had met with Nograles and Defensor who assured
President Gloria Arroyo of the approval of the joint resolution.
--with Angelo S. Samonte
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