Farmers and the bishops supporting their campaign for a reformed Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) have concluded their hunger strike Thursday after a top Catholic church leader promised to push their cause in Congress and Malacañang.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales to the farmers to end their strike despite their dismay over Congress’ “empty” extension of CARP Wednesday night.

Rosales personally picked up the farmers and the bishops at the Batasan complex and fed them home at his official residence. The protesters went on for days without food and have weakened in the process.

"Kami na ang gagawa ng tinig niyo ang kami na ang bahalang makipag-usap sa kinauukulan," said the cardinal.

Rosales lambasted Congress for issuing a joint resolution extending CARP without compulsory acquisition of lands, a move that favors landowners.

He said that some of the lawmakers are either landlords or come from families of landowners, hence, the questionable resolution.

"Ang mayaman, malakas, may impluwensya sa batas, at natalo na naman ang mga dukha," he said.

Fourteen senators passed on third reading joint resolution 19 extending CARP for six months. Based on this resolution, only voluntary land acquisition will be done in the six-month period. Senators Benigno Aquino III and Manuel “Mar” Roxas abstained.

The House of Representatives, in nominal voting on the last session day of Congress this year, passed the joint resolution with 111 voting for its passage while 34 voted not in favor and one abstained.

‘Surprised’

Even the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) was surprised with the developments in Congress.

"We were surprised last night why the sudden change in the content of the resolution, even doon sa Senate nagulat kami,” said DAR Undersecretary Narciso Nieto.

“If you take away land acquisition and distribution, we are now useless," he said.

Saved agrarian reform
However, Speaker Prospero Nograles said Wednesday’s resolution has in fact “saved” the Agrarian Reform.

"The move saved the agrarian reform program from certain death it would have been impossible to secure the plenary approval of the original CARP Bill because of extreme conflicts on the mode of land acquisition,” he said.

He added that the resolution is just a temporary remedy while they convince land owners to distribute their properties to the poor. With a report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News