President Duterte has pledged to hasten the implementation of the agrarian reform program without becoming a dictator.
In a recent visit to North Cotabato, the President said he would follow the law in the distribution of lands to agrarian reform beneficiaries and would not order the government forces to do anything illegal.
“Kung meron pang naiwan na pwedeng i-land reform, pilitin kong i-land reform ‘yan,” Duterte said in his remarks.
“Kayong mga may-ari ng lupa na malalaki… Sabagay wala ng land reform. Pero ‘pag hindi pa ninyo binitawan ‘yan, pipilitin ko ‘yan. Hindi pipilitin ko na gusto ko mag-diktador. Hindi ako gagalaw hanggang walang batas,” he said.
“Kaya itong mga pulis pati military, take comfort. When I say, ‘do it,’ do it because I will never order you to do an illegal act,” he said.
Duterte reminded the rich landowners to comply with the land reform program, saying there is a “time for everything.”
“If you are a Christian, I will refer you to the Bible, Ecclesiastes 3. There is a time to be happy and a time to be sad. A time of plenty and a time of want. A time to be rich but a time to be just an ordinary. A time for everything and a time for nothing. A time to be happy and a time for grief. As always, there is a time to live, a time to be born, and a time to die,” he said.
“Walang permanente dito sa buhay,” he added.
Duterte said he has directed Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriones to fully carry out the land reform program particularly in Negros. He lamented reports that some landholders have refused to give up the lands covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program and instead tried to pay off their tenant-farmers.
“Sabi ko kay Castriciones sa Agrarian Reform, ‘Ilagay mo na. Ilagay mo na. Pilitin mo. Ilagay mo, magpasama kayo ng pulis because that is the law. The law says give it to the tenants. So kaya malakas ang insurgency dito dahil diyan,” he said. (Genalyn Kabiling)
