Duterte: Land reform program has stopped
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Sat, 25 May 2019 09:40:24 +0000
As much as he wants to continue, President Duterte on Thursday said that the land reform program has stopped as the government has reached its limit in distributing land.
In a speech in Davao City Thursday, Duterte said that he is the President who has distributed the most land to the poor but said this now has to take a pause.
“Land reform gusto ko ‘yan. Ako ang pinakamaraming titulo na – almost 60,000 hectares. Gusto ko pa. But the land reform program has stopped. We no longer cannot acquire,” he said.
The President said he promised to give out land to the people but expressed regret that they will not get to be as rich as their ancestors.
“Kayong inabutan ngayon, well then I’m sorry, you cannot be as rich as your forefathers because of the limitations now imposed by law,” he added.
He, however, renewed his warning to groups like Kadamay not to resort to land grabbing or he will have them arrested, including a certain “Atty. Mahinay.”
“Kagaya nitong Kadamay, I’m warning you. ‘Yung land grabbing ninyo style ng okupasyon. Basta ang order ko sa law enforcement, hulihin ninyo pati ‘yang Atty. Mahinay na ‘yan. Ipapahuli ko talaga ‘yan,” Duterte said.
He belittled anew the promise of the New People’s Army to the people that they will give them lands, saying it is not as easy as they might think it is.
“Akala nila sila lang ang marunong. Mag-land reform, wala naman typewriter, ang tataas ng kuko, walang ballpen. Mag-drawing ng – tapos mag-land reform ka,” Duterte said.
“Alam mo ba ‘pag land reform, ‘pag hindi mo madala nang husto ‘yan, gulo ‘yan. But you have to explain patiently,” he added.
Early this year, Duterte promised to give government lands to the people, ordering Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones to expedite the process and distribute all pieces of land to the people within his term.
“Sabi ko nga kay Secretary Castriciones ibigay mo na ‘yan lahat sa panahon ko. Lahat ng lupa ng gobyreno. Wala namang nakikialam diyan. Pati bukid ibigay mo para mataniman,” he said. (Argyll Geducos)