Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Ariel Casilao said that a landless farmers is a potential NPA recruit as he or she could not perceive any hope from the government and wage the agrarian revolution. (davaotoday.com file photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — A progressive lawmaker said that by not addressing the land issue it could pose a security problem for government as communist insurgents could easily recruit them to their fold.
“A landless farmer is a potential insurgent as he or she could not perceive any hope from the government, thus, he is driven to wage the agrarian revolution and armed conflict in the country is unavoidable,” said Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Ariel Casilao.
Casilao said the government is missing out on the need to execute an agrarian reform program that will benefit millions of Filipino farmers. The lawmakers statement came after thousands of farmers culminated a week-long nationwide caravan dubbed as “Lakbay Magsasaka” (farmers’ journey) in Manila on Wednesday, October 25.
More than 3,000 farmers marched to Mendiola bridge to call on President Rodrigo Duterte to effect a genuine agrarian reform program in the country and put a stop to the killings of farmers across the country.
According to the human rights group Karapatan, there were already 91 farmers killed from July 2016 to September this year. Casilao said almost seven farmers were killed in a month under President Duterte’s term. He said there were 603 farmers killed during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo while 270 farmers were killed during the term of President Benigno Aquino III.
‘Do your assignments’
Meanwhile, Department of Agrarian Reform Officer In Charge Rosalina Bistoyong ordered local officials of DAR to ensure that land disputes are solved at the provincial and regional levels.
“It is quite expensive for the farmers to go in Manila, hold rallies and camp-out at the DAR central office to air their concerns when it can already be solved at the field levels,” she said on Thursday, October 26.
“Do your assignments! Cases should be solved at the provincial and regional levels,” she added.
Bistoyong said local DAR officials should be accountable for the accomplishments and failures in DAR’s performances on land tenure service (LTS), agrarian legal service (LTS), technical advisory support services (TASS), foreign-assisted and special projects office (FASPO) and Finance and Administrative Service.
She said all DAR field implementors must ensure that all certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) forwarded to the Register of Deeds (ROD) are registered to the farmer beneficiaries and to deliver the targeted 48,000 hectares.
Officials were also ordered to fast-track completion of claim folders documentation, survey funds for new lands obligated and conduct constant coordination with CARP implementing agencies like the ROD, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP). (davaotoday.com)
