Monday, July 26, 2004 DAR post not for me: Villa By Jennifer M. Depakakibo
PRESIDENTIAL Adviser for Western Visayas Rene Villa said he is not eyeing the agrarian reform portfolio.
"I do not have any interest in that position," Villa told Sun.Star Iloilo in a telephone interview.
His reaction echoed the earlier statement of Senate President Franklin Drilon, denying he is pushing for the appointment of Villa to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) post.
Allies of Agrarian Reform Acting Secretary Jose Marie Ponce have reportedly claimed that Drilon is allegedly influencing the President Macapagal-Arroyo to appoint Villa to the post.
For his part, Villa said he has not asked to be appointed as agrarian reform secretary.
"I hope people will note that Rene Villa is the incumbent adviser of President Arroyo. He is not the adviser of the Senate President. While it is true that Villa is a native of Iloilo City, it does not mean that his only qualification is being a provincemate of the Senate President," Drilon said earlier.
Ponce and his allies in civil society are reportedly suggesting that the possible appointment of Villa would mean "payment of political debts."
Arroyo garnered an overwhelming number of votes in Western Visayas especially in the city and province of Iloilo.
"At the rate things are going, every Ilonggo who will be considered for a Cabinet position will be branded as a political debt payment for Drilon," the Senate chief lamented.
During her visit to Iloilo last month, Arroyo said she is considering the transfer of the DAR head office from Quezon City to Iloilo City as part of her move to decentralize the National Government.
Arroyo then said she has already consulted Drilon about the matter.
She said she would make Iloilo, the whole Panay island and Guimaras province as showcase areas of her administration's fight against poverty.
In an assessment of Arroyo's track record made by the Caucus of Development NGO Networks (Code-NGO) which it posted in its website before the May 10 elections, Code-NGO said "the administration had the worst land administration and development (LAD) performance in the history of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (Carp)."
Peasant groups have found hope in the appointment of Ponce who, within a week after his assumption, issued the "open door" policy at the department, declared a moratorium in the approval of applications for land conversions and exemptions, and a memo circular ordering local DAR officials to continue processing the acquisition and distribution of Carp lands even if there are cases filed pertaining to the properties in question.
(July 26, 2004 issue) Write letter to the editor.Click here. Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here.
