Senators, bishops meet on CARP extension

MANILA, Philippines - Officials of the Catholic Church and senators will meet today to discuss the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Caritas Manila Executive Director Fr. Anton Pascual said 10 bishops and 10 senators would meet at 3 p.m. today at the Office of the Senate President Conference Room in Pasay City.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales has assigned Pascual as his representative in the dialogue.

In an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas, Pascual said he hopes that today’s meeting between Church officials and senators would finally settle the problem of the farmers.

Pascual said aside from him, those who have confirmed their attendance at the meeting were Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ National Secretariat for Social Action; Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez; Bishop Bernardino Cortez, chairman of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Social Communication; Cabanatuan Bishop Sofronio Bancud; Bontoc-Lagawe Bishop Emeritus Francisco Claver; Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani; Catarman Bishop Emmanuel Trance; Infanta Bishop Rolando Tirona; Paranaque Bishop Jesse Mercado and Imus Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is expected to lead the lawmakers in the dialogue together with Senators Gregorio Honasan, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Panfilo Lacson, Richard Gordon, Rodolfo Biazon, Jinggoy Estrada, Jamby Madrigal, Francis Escudero, Mar Roxas and Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan.

Pascual said the meeting would also be attended by representatives of the peasant groups and former elections commissioner Christian Monsod, who serves as counsel for the farmers. He said they also invited representatives from the non-government organizations supporting the farmers. – Helen Flores