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MANILA, Philippines — After the internal disagreement within the Magsasaka party-list is resolved, the goal would be to craft a measure that will forgive the debts of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), a claimant to the farmers’ group’s seat said on Thursday.
Robert Gerard Nazal Jr., an agricultural entrepreneur, claims that his organization may help bring about social justice by advocating for the forgiveness of loans and arrears accrued by ARBs as a result of receiving land through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp).
Nazal added that if the loans were written off, it would encourage spending by farmers who no longer had to worry about repaying their debts.
“Condoning the debts now of the agrarian reform beneficiaries will not only be a right step in pursuing social justice, but it will also provide a stimulus for economic growth wherein the country’s agricultural sector will be at the forefront,” Nazal said in a statement.
“The farmer-beneficiaries will be provided a fresh start and will be released from the bondage from where the law truly intended them to be freed,” he added.
According to Nazal, his organization supports President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s promise in his first State of the Nation Address to place a one-year moratorium on the land amortization of ARBs.
READ: Marcos to order one-year moratorium on land amortization for farmers
Marcos eventually froze the Carp amortization for one year in an announcement on his birthday last September 13. He said it is an important step towards forgiving the debts of the ARBs.
READ: Marcos freezes Carp amortization for one year
Nazal said Carp’s intentions were good as it aimed to help farmers by providing land to be paid in annual amortizations.
However, the high amortization rates had an adverse effect on a number of farmers, and the government was in the red with regard to the ARB-secured loans.
“However, despite the noble intentions, the government currently has a staggering collectible deficit from the foregoing loans on both the land and the credit secured by agrarian reform beneficiaries,” he said.
“That being said, it must be noted that the failure of the collection stems not just from lack of efficient administration of collection but also the inability of the farmer-beneficiaries to shoulder the loans in the first place, not to mention the compounded interests, penalties, or surcharges,” he added.
Before drafting laws to forgive ARBs’ debts, Magsasaka party-list must settle its own issue.
No representative from the organization is now in the 19th Congress as former Magsasaka Rep. Argel Joseph Cabatbat disputed Nazal’s claim to be the party-rightful list’s bet.
Cabatbat said Nazal, who claims to be Magsasaka’s 19th Congress delegate, isn’t a member of their group.
Nazal claimed Comelec recognized Magsasaka national chair Soliman Villamin Jr.’s side as the official group, making Cabatbat’s bid void.
READ: Infighting, power struggle erupt within Magsasaka party-list
However, Cabatbat’s side claims to have scored a win after the Supreme Court issued a status quo ante order, or an order for both camps to maintain the status quo before Comelec declared Nazal as the winner.