As President Bongbong Marcos Jr distribute thousands of Certificate of Condonation with release of mortgage (COCROM) to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) at the Department of Agrarian Reform this morning, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said the New Agrarian Emancipation Act or NAEA does not truly emancipate farmer-tillers, ARBs and peasants from the bondage of the soil and widespread landlessness. Today’s distribution of COCROMs coincided with the double birthday celebrations of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrad Estrella III and Marcos Jr.

“We must always remember that the government, through Marcos Sr-era PD 27 and the bogus Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) imposed heavy amortization payments to farmers, which resulted in debts and led to the ejectment of farmers-ARBs from the land. As long as land monopolies remain and haciendas exist, there will be no genuine emancipation of farmers and ARBs. Genuine land reform will persist as a just and democratic demand of Filipino farmers,” according to KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos.

Ramos added: for decades, farmers and ARBs have demanded for free land distribution. They fought all their lives to be free from the State-imposed obligation of paying amortization for government-awarded lands. ARBs have nothing to be thankful for to DAR and the Marcos Jr administration,” according to the peasant leader who is also a Makabayan senatorial candidate.

“Condonation of amortization or in this case, a mere piece of paper in the form of a Certificate of Condonation does not truly unburden farmers from the high cost of agricultural production, from threats of eviction and ejectment due to private and public land-use conversion, from all-year round calamities, and perennial lack of support services and assistance from the government.”

COCROMs are not even land titles, and even farmers with in possession of land titles can be ejected from the land, as with the case of existing land disputes in Araneta lands in Bulacan, Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac, Hacienda Roxas in Batangas, Lupang Tartaria in Cavite and vast haciendas across Negros. KMP further said while the condonation program stands to cover 610,000 ARBs, there are 9.8 million registered farmers nationwide, with the majority not having control or ownership to the land they are tilling.

The group said NAEA can eventually facilitate the sale and reconcentration of government-awarded lands to landlords. “In a situation where there is no significant support services for ARBs and repression in rural communities is prevalent, ARBs are always vulnerable to losing their position in the land.”

In conclusion, Ramos said: “Tanging sa sama-samang pagkilos nakakamit at napapanatili ng mga magsasaka at ARBs ang kanilang karapatan sa lupa. Regardless of the legal status of the land, and whether or not they possess CLOAs or titles, farmers’ and ARBs can assert their claim to the land through organized and collective actions.” ###