By Aiza Liza
Namingit
LAGAWE,
Ifugao -- As Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) marked its 28th
anniversary on June 10, re-elected Ifugao Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat said he is
upbeat with the appointment of Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano as next Agrarian Reform
chief.
“As a farmer leader who strongly
advocated for a more revolutionary agrarian reform implementation, Ka Paeng
definitely makes for an interesting choice to fulfill the mandate of the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and confront its adversaries,”
said Baguilat.
"It's
quite interesting because the incoming Secretary would come from the ranks of
the farmers. But it's also going to be challenging because Ka Paeng has always
been critical of the law and the government. Now, he will be on the other side
of the fence."
However, Baguilat appealed with Mariano
to complete the remaining land distribution of 700,000 hectares to benefit some
460,000 landless beneficiaries under the CARP while pushing for the passage of
a better agrarian reform law in Congress.
The
chairperson of the Committee on Agrarian Reform in the 16th Congress said
Ka Paeng was a constant resource person in his committee’s hearings, who
consistently carried a torch for the passage of the Genuine Agrarian Reform
Bill (GARB).
“We
may differ in our ideological leanings, but I appreciate his firebrand style of
advocacy for farmers’ rights. Now that he assumes a leadership role in
government, his primary mandate is to implement the law as embodied in the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) and the CARP Extension with Reforms
Law,” said Baguilat.
Baguilat
thinks Mariano can use his influence on the Duterte administration and push
passage of a more Constitutional GARB and protect the rights of small farmers
against pending proposals to revise property rights under the 1987 Constitution
such as possible foreign ownership of land.
“If he can push for such a radical bill,
this may be the game changer needed to signal rural development. Ka Paeng faces
big adversaries with real estate developers, plantation owners, the hacienderos
and other forces aiming for land reconsolidation. I am willing to help in
Congress, provided the problematic provisions of the GARB are ironed out,”
Baguilat said.
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