BACOLOD CITY — The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law should have not been extended under pressure. Just because of the hunger strike (they were eating when no one was looking anyway) they made our officials panic.

Now, those protesters will never stop. After knowing our officials can be pressured by a “hunger strike”, they will continue to do that. Endlessly.

When pressured, stonewall. Stand more firm. Resist. And wait until the pressure is no more, then think, and act.

I have a friend who always says, “You are pressuring me? I will not give in to your pressure. Otherwise, when you need something from me, you will pressure me again. So, the answer is no. You can go to hell.”

This friend is very amenable to talking reasonably. Because, he always says, I am a reasonable man, firm and fair. Without fear.

* * *

I join Task Force Mapalad in asking President Arroyo to veto the CARL extension. This should have not been entertained, in the first place.

What many do not know because government refused to let the people know, is the mega scams with the hundreds of billions of pesos to fund our Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

Does this mean, these people agree with these mega scams? The suspicion we have is these people just want to get a share of the big money for this CARP.

Let us first tell the people how much really was collected by the government for CARP. Many other donor countries gave billions of pesos. And most of these came from money stolen by the Marcos administration which was put in the funds of CARP.

Yet, how many hectares were acquired? How many people were benefited? How many of original beneficiaries still tills the lands?

These are very important. I hope those who made a big drama of staging “hunger” strike come to realize that CARP did not help the landless but the corrupt.

CARP is good. But it was the implementation that was defective. And it looks like they want it continued. Let us abolish, not extend CARP. Then let us have another law to solve the problem.

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Congratulations to both Gov. Isidro Zayco and Mayor Bing Leonardia for the “Excellence Awards” they got from the department of Interior.

We plan to write later more about this. We just believe the Governor must continue with his food security program. And that is where he is strong.

The price of pork and meat is increasing, not only because this is Christmas season but because of the shortage of pigs and cattle.

Guv, you help us who want to help you in this food security program. We need sows to distribute piglets to others. There is no other way to solve the problem but to produce.

* * *

My friend Nene Leonardia agreed with my promoting breast feeding, as a way to improve the quality of our people. Mother’s milk is the best. Let us not have our young people feed on other kinds of milk.

Nene likes breastfeeding too. He said he would send me reading materials on breastfeeding.

* * *

We greet Albee Benitez on his birthday today in Victorias City. I got an invitation but I am very sorry, I cannot come.

I just wish Mr. Benitez a happy birthday. He is the grandson of my friend Sammy Palanca, being the grandson also of Mrs. Remedios P. Bantug.

His father, Jolly Benitez, was a top official years ago and his mother is the late Betty Bantug. He is a bright young man, I was told.

* * *

Many friends called me up yesterday who told me, laughing, “Yooots.” That I am sure they were reading my column yesterday to the very end.

When I find people reacting to my item written at the end, that I am sure people read the whole column. Nene Leonardia said, “It make my day. Yooots!!! Johnny Yulo said he could not stop laughing.

A lady said I was just very naughty. Another didn’t agree “Yooots” is a good word.

Usually columns are read only on the first few paragraphs.

* * *

I cannot take my mind off on the CARL extension which I strongly believe the President should veto. Of what use is accommodating people when they do not get satisfied with what you give them.

Veto it. And let those people who oppose to ask Congress to enact a law they like.

Don’t forget the biggest source of our economic woes is CARP. Our food production suffered. We keep on importing food. One cannot use his farm as collateral for loan in a bank. We never produce more efficiently with the very limited area of farm we can work on.

And yet people want to perpetuate the problem.

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