NAGA CITY -- Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi said it is true that he and the archdiocese’s lawyers are planning to file a motion for reconsideration to the Supreme Court (SC).

        Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed for lack of merit the archdiocese’s petition to review asking the high court to take a second look on its decision to uphold the Court of Appeals ruling that the 268.6 hectares of land registered to the Roman Catholic Church of Caceres is not exempted from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

        The Archbishop clarified however that his move is not to oppose the land reform program but to settle an issue which he has raised to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) since he took over as the Archbishop of Caceres.

        He has been arguing that the lands belonging to the archdiocese should be exempted from CARP and should be returned because the archdiocese is not the owner but only the administrator of the hectares of land planted to rice, corn, and coconuts

        Legaspi also accused a leading national daily of sensationalizing his move after it had depicted the Archdiocese of Caceres in its editorial cartoon as hefty landowners unwilling to give its lands especially to the poor.

        He said the 268.6 hectares of land is not a contiguous piece of land contrary to what has appeared in the editorial cartoon.

        The editorial cartoon was published in time when the issue of Sumilao farmers from Bukidnon province claiming the lands now owned by San Miguel Corporation was in the headlines.

        He also said he was only contesting DAR’s decision to redistribute the tracts of land because it may not be in compliance with CARP’s provisions, and not because the archdiocese is very determined to keep the tracts of land, adding that he believes in the purpose of land reform.

        He further said that the tracts of land were given up to land reform in mid 1980s and is not anymore administered by the archdiocese.

        The Archbishop also told Bicol Mail that until now, the archdiocese is yet to receive the just compensation in cash or in bond as provided for by CARP.