SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. B. No. 
2769 
Introduced by Senator GREGORIO B. HONASAN II 
AN ACT 
'15 
MAY 18 Pl :29 
,:LI'I';IVi;P EY:-fW 
CREATING THE 
AGRARIAN 
REFORM COMMISSION TO 
INVESTIGATE 
CIRCUMVENTIONS AND VIOLATIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6657, OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE "COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM LAW OF 1988", AS 
AMENDED, REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9700, AND OTHER AGRARIAN REFORM LAWS, 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution mandates that "The State shall. by law, undertake an agrarian reform 
program founded on the right of farmers and regular farmworkers who are landless, to own 
directly or collectively the lands they till or, in the case of other farmworkers, to receive a just 
share of the fruits thereof To this end, the State shall encourage and undertake the just 
distribution of all agricultural lands, subject to such priorities and reasonable retention limits as 
the Congress may prescribe, taking into acco(lnt ecological, developmental, or equity 
considerations, and subject to the payment of just compensation." 
From the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), studies have 
shown that "between 1998 and 2011, there is a greater increase in average per capita income 
(12.3%) and a deeper reduction in poverty incidence (21 %) among CARP households as 
compared to land-owning non-CARP households and the general population."l It has further 
been reported that according to fonner National Economic and Development Authority Secretary 
Cielito Habito, 81 % of the fanners in Agrarian Reform Communities say their quality of lives 
improved with CARP. 
The original target of CARP for compulsory acquisition (CA) was 1.5 million hectares. After 25 
years, however, the CA accomplislunent stood only at 325,720 hectares. The Department of 
Agrarian Refonn has further estimated that 80% of collective certificates of land ownership 
award (CLOA) are not real cooperatives. Individual CLOAs covering around 800,000 hectares 
have yet to be issued. Moreover, about 600,000 hectares oflong-tenn leaseback agreements with 
tenns as long as 25 years and low lease rates are suspected as means to circumvent the CARP. 
Leaseback is only supposed to be a short tenn transition arrangement until the beneficiaries 
develop the capacity to be owner-cultivators. 2 
In view of the foregoing and as a social justice measure in pursuit of the just distribution of all 
agricultural lands as mandated by the Constitution, this bill seeks to establish the Agrarian 
Reform Commission to investigate circumventions and violations of the CARP. With an 
1 Monsod & Piza, Per SE, http://www.econ.upd.edu.ph. 29 March 2014 
2 Monsod, Christian, Committee on Agrarian Reform, House of Representatives, 06 Aug. 2014 


estimated 53% of Filipinos in rural areas engaged in agriculture), uplifting their lives by securing 
their means of livelihood, securing their land, will address economic, social, and national 
security concems ofthe country. 
Wherefore, the immediate enactment of this measure is earn; t y sought. 
3 Tadeo, Jaime, Committee on Agrarian Reform, House of Representatives, 06 Aug. 2014 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
'15 
NAY 18 P 1 :29 
SENATE 
::.' .;1 i>r . j~ 
S.B.No. 2769 
Introduced by Senator GREGORIO B. HONASAN II 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE 
AGRARIAN 
REFORM 
COMMISSION TO 
INVESTIGATE 
CIRCUMVENTIONS AND VIOLATIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6657, OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE "COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM LAW OF 1988", AS 
AMENDED, REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9700, AND OTHER AGRARIAN REFORM LAWS, 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR. 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Agrarian Reform Commission Act"; 
SEC. 2. Policy. - The agrarian refonn program is founded on the right of fanners and regular 
fannworkers, who are landless, to own directly or collectively the lands they till or, in the case of 
other fannworkers, to receive a just share of the fruits thereof. To this end, the State shall 
encourage and undertake the just distribution of all agricultural lands, subject to the priorities and 
retention limits set forth under Republic Act 6657, otherwise known as the "Comprehensive 
Agrarian Refonn Law (CARL)" , as amended, and Republic Act 9700, taking into account 
ecological, developmental, and equity considerations, and subject to the payment of just 
compensation. The State shall respect the right of small landowners, and shall provide incentive 
for voluntary land-sharing. 
The acquisition and distribution of all public and private agricultural lands under Republic Act 
6657, as amended, shall be successfully completed to its finality in accordance with the mandate 
under the 1987 Constitution. 
It is, therefore, imperative to create an independent commiSSIOn to review the actual 
accomplishments of the agrarian refonn program, and to investigate circumventions and 
violations of the law and cause these agricultural lands to be compulsorily acquired and 
distributed to qualified beneficiaries. 
The State shall provide appropriate incentives to 
landowners who will comply with the recommendations of the Commission. 
SEC. 3. Agrarian Reform Commission. - There is hereby created the Agrarian Refonn 
Commission (ARC) composed of a Chairperson and four (4) members of impeccable integrity, 
probity and independence, with experience involving the agrarian refonn program, at least two 
of whom members of the Philippine Bar and engaged in the practice oflaw for at least 10 years. 
The Chairperson and the members of the Connnission shall have the rank and privileges 
equivalent to the rank of an Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, respectively. 
The President of the Republic of the Philippines shall appoint the best qualified Chairperson and 
members of the Commission within thirty (30) days from the submission of a short list of ten 
(10) nominees recommended by a screening committee which shall be submitted by the 
screening committee within thiliy (30) days from the deadline set by such committee for the 
submission of nominees by individuals or stakeholder groups. The members of the Screening 
Committee, who will act in their ex-officio capacity, shall be composed of the following: 


(1) The Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission; 
(2) The Secretary of the Depatiment of Justice; 
(3) The Ombudsman; and 
(4) The Chairperson of the Commission on Audit; 
The Screening Committee shall be functus officio upon submission of the short list to the 
President. 
The Agrarian Refonn Commission shall function as a collegial body and shall fonnulate its own 
rules and regulations. The term of the Commission shall expire after all agricultural lands cover 
by the agrarian reform program under the Constitution shall have been distributed to our fanner 
beneficiaries. 
The Commission shall be an independent and autonomous body. It shall be attached to the 
Office of the President. 
An amount ofTen Million Pesos (PhplO, 000,000.00) per year is hereby appropriated in order to 
fund the operations ofthe Agrarian Refonn Commission. 
SEC. 4. Powers and Functions of the Agrarian Reform Commission. -
The Commission 
shall have the following powers and functions: 
a. Investigate any and all circumventions and violations in the implementation of Republic 
Act No. 6657 or the CARL, as amended by Republic Act No. 9700, particularly on the 
acquisition and 
distribution of all agricultural lands under the progratn, and other 
applicable laws for the purpose of prosecuting those responsible therefor, and to put such 
agricultural 
lands under the coverage of the program by the CARP implementing 
agencies atld/or to clarify or correct the modalities that deprive the fanner beneficiaries of 
full ownership or stewardship rights on, and control of the land. This includes 
circumventions and violations involving the delivery of support services and agrarian 
justice; 
b. Recommend to the Presidential Agrarian Refonn Council (P ARC) the appropriate 
incentives for landowners who will comply with the orders of the Commission or 
recommend to the Department of Justice, the Ombudsman and other prosecutorial 
authorities the possible filing of appropriate cases against persons found by the 
Commission to have violated any agrarian refonn laws and refuse to have their 
agricultural land undergo comprehensive agrarian refonn progratn (CARP) processes; 
c. Submit the results of its investigation to the Office of the President (OP), Presidential 
Agrarian Refonn Council (P ARC), Depatiment of Agrarian Refonn (DAR), 
Congressional Oversight Committee on Agrarian Refonn (CO CAR), Department of 
Justice (DOJ) atld other CARP implementing agencies, for appropriate action; 
d. Invite or summon by subpoena any witness, public or private citizen, to testify before this 
Commission, and for that purpose administer oath or affinnation; 
e. May punish or cite in contempt any witness who disobeys any order of the Commission 
or refuses to be swom or to testify or to answer a proper question by the Commission or 
any of its members, or testifying, testifies falsely or evasively, or who unduly refuses to 
appear or bring before the Commission certain documents and/or object evidence 
required by the Commission notwithstanding the issuance of the appropriate subpoena 
therefor; 


f. Require by the issuance of subpoena duces tecum any agency, official or employee of the 
executive branch, including government-owned or controlled corporations, to produce 
before it such documents, books, records, reports, or other documents as may be 
necessary in the perfonnance of its functions; 
g. Require the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies to provide 
security and assistance to the Commission during its investigation when circumstances so 
require; 
h. Upon proper request, obtain from the COUlis, including the Sandiganbayan and the Office 
of the Court Administrator, infonnation or documents in respect to agrarian cases filed; 
i. Promulgate rules and regulations and rules of procedure; and, 
j. Exercise such other acts incident to or appropriate and necessary in connection with the 
Commission's objectives. 
SEC. S. The Secretariat. - The Commission shall organize a secretariat which shall provide 
technical and administrative suppOli to the Commission. The staffing, pattern and compensation 
schedule of the secretariat shall be detennined by the Commission in accordance with existing 
Civil Service rules, regulations and laws, policies of the Department of Budget and Management 
(DBM), as well as other applicable laws, rules and regulations. 
The tel1n of the Secretariat shall be co-tenuinus with the Commission. 
SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances, rules and 
regulations, or part thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby likewise repealed or amended 
accordingly. 
SEC. 7. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any section or provisions of this Act is 
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions not affected thereby shall 
remain in full force and effect. 
SEC. 8. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days upon publication 
in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,