Struggles continue for coconut farmers

CEBU, Philippines - For more than 40 years now, coconut farmers in the country have struggled to get their share of the coco levy fund that has already accumulated to P75 billion in the Bureau of Treasury.

 Leaders of the Confederation of Coconut Farmers Organizations of the Philippines, Inc. (CONFED) recently held a three-day national consultative assembly in Cebu to further discuss the issue.

 CONFED chairman Efren Villaseñor said they welcome the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to release P60 billion of the coco levy funds to coconut farmers. However, the Temporary Restraining Order issued by the Supreme Court tied the hands of the government from disbursing the funds to the farmers, preventing Duterte from fulfilling his campaign promise.

During the consultative assembly, CONFED secretary general Oscar Solidor said they have passed at least two resolutions. One is requesting Duterte to issue a directive to transfer the fund from BTR to the United Coconut Planters Bank.

 Villaseñor said putting the money in the treasury destroys the very essence of the SC decision that coco levy fund is a public fund held in trust by the government for the benefit of coconut farmers.

 Villaseñor said they were informed that the fund is intact at the treasury department but they have no documentary evidence to prove the same. This prompted them to pass another resolution supporting the call of Senator Grace Poe for investigation on the status of the coco levy fund.

 Before the May 9, 2016 elections, CONFED had demanded from Malacañang to produce the P7.6 billion in coco levy funds that it illegally took from the UCPB and San Miguel Corp. without explaining where the money would be used.

 Villaseñor said his group, representing about 2.8 million coconut farmers, learned that the Palace and the Presidential Commission on Good Government withdrew the P7.6 billion cash component of the coco levy fund last year from UCPB and SMC.

 "There have been reports that P5.2 billion of the P7.6-billion have already been transferred from a special account of the Bureau of Treasury to the general fund, which Malacañang can use for any purpose it desires, including for the elections," Villaseñor said.

 He said they have already written letters since last year to the PCGG and Malacañang asking them to show the money, but no reply was ever received.

 CONFED is also supporting separate House bills creating the Coconut Industry Trust Fund sponsored by Representatives Karlo Alexei Nograles, Jericho Jonas Nograles, Enrico Pineda, Michael Odylon Romero and Celso Lobregat.

 CONFED is composed of organizations comprising 90 percent of the more than 3.2 million coconut farmers in the country from over 63 provinces. (FREEMAN)