Duterte wants coconut agency board members to resign

MANILA, Philippines — Ahead of the enactment of the coconut levy fund bill, President Duterte wants executives of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to tender their courtesy resignations, according to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.

During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday night, Piñol said he proposed to Duterte that the five members of the PCA governing board submit their resignation as the recently ratified coco levy bill will revamp the agency.

“Just courtesy resignation, but they will work until such time the new board members are appointed or if they are reappointed,” Piñol said.

“It was I who suggested to give President Duterte a free hand in selecting officials. The expected reorganization of the PCA is under the Coco Levy Act,” he added.

PCA was officially reverted back under the helm of the Department of Agriculture in September.

Among the officials being asked to file their courtesy resignations are PCA administrator and board vice chairman Romulo dela Rosa and members Alan Tanjuakio, Manuel Serra Jr., Conrado Capa and Roque Quimpan.

Dela Rosa and the other board members declined to comment on the call for their resignation, saying they have yet to receive any official word from the President or from Malacañang.

Once signed by Duterte, the bill will completely revamp the PCA Board, leaving only the administrator as member, who will be appointed by the President.

The other agencies will include the departments of agriculture, finance, science and technology, budget and management, and trade and industry as well as the Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines.

Completing the 15-man board are one representative from the private sector and two farmer representatives from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

On Nov. 28, the Senate adopted and ratified bicameral conference committee reports on the coco levy bill that seeks to set up a P100-billion trust fund for coconut farmers.

The Senate earlier adopted the report but it was returned to the joint panel after Malacañang, particularly the economic team, questioned the composition of the PCA board, which was made up of more private sector representatives than government officials.

The coco levy fund was sourced from taxes imposed on coconut farmers as mandated by Presidential Decree 755 in 1975. The taxes were supposed to be used for the construction of projects designed for the benefit of coconut farmers but were instead used to buy a large percentage of the bank now known as the United Coconut Planters Bank.

Since the start of his term, Duterte has ordered the release of the funds but a temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court has prevented the new administration from doing so.