MANILA, Philippines鈥揚resident Aquino held an emergency meeting with leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives Thursday morning to ensure the approval of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (Carper) by June 11 this year.
鈥淲e will take it up and approve it (House Bill No. 4296) on third reading before sine die adjournment,鈥� said Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II in a text message.
Gonzales said lawmakers present during the meeting were headed by Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte. Officials of the Department of Agrarian Reform were also present.
The President was acting on a letter sent early this month by 81 members of the Catholic Bishops鈥� Conference of the Philippines who appealed to him to 鈥済ive new life and a glorious finish鈥� to the 27-year-old agrarian reform program by approving the pending Carper bill in the House (the Senate approved its version a year ago).
The signatories鈥�15 archbishops, 59 bishops and seven Church administrators鈥攄escribed their letter as the 鈥渂iggest public appeal鈥� so far involving agrarian reform.鈥�Gil Cabacungan