Pacquiao vows crackdown vs landgrabbers,  justice for poor farmers

FILE Sen. Manny Pacquiao.

MANILA, Philippines — PROMDI presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao has vowed to go after landgrabbers and abusive landowners who for a long time, have exploited poor farmers and fisherfolks, resulting in serious problems over food security and even aggravating poverty across the country.

According to Pacquiao, he would push for a thorough investigation of complaints of poor farmers whose lands have been forcibly taken over by the rich and converted into residential subdivisions.

“Makikita nila sa first three years, kung papalarin tayo (na manalo bilang pangulo), iyong mga lupa na inangkin ng iba, iyong mga lupang walang kakayahan ang may-ari na ipaglaban ang sarili, ibabalik natin sa kanila,” Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao said that many of the people who have lost their lands are farmers who are often delinquent in paying their real estate taxes due to lack of funds.

These lands, Pacquiao said, end up in the possession of wealthy developers who have connections with the  Land Registration Authority (LRA) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

This is why the People’s Champ will be pushing for a thorough review of policies governing the disposition of lands, especially  the areas that are considered for agricultural use. He said he would also push for the investigation of previous land conversions that impacted negatively on the country’s food production capacity.

Pacquiao said he would also create a special agency that would focus on the problems of farmers who lost their lands to wealthy land grabbers.

“Kailangan nating ipa-review ang mga regulasyon pinapatupad ng LRA dahil alam naman nating marami na ngayong mga lupain na dating sakahan ay ginawang mga subdivision kaya unti-unti nang nauubos ang mga farmlands dito sa atin,” he pointed out.

Pacquiao also mentioned the abuse suffered by common fisherfolks who are rapidly losing traditional fishing grounds because of  Chinese incursions and illegal occupation by large fishpond owners.

“Matindi ang hinaing nila (farmers and fisher folk) dahil napapabayaan sila . . . Sinasabi ko nga kung sa tutuusin, ang laki ng utang-na-loob ng sambayanang Pilipino sa mga farmers at fisherfolk natin dahil sa kanila ay may pagkain tayo . Sila ang breadwinner ng ating bansa . Kung hindi dahil sa kanila ay wala tayong kakainin,” he lamented.

/MUF