OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT 21 September 2014 HIS EXCELLENCY BENIGNO C. AQUINO III PRESIDENT REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Malacanang Palace Dear Mr. President, After decades of court battle the government won a coco levy case involving 24% SMC shares in September 2012. Unfortunately, the long-drawn victory has yet to translate to direct benefits to the small coconut farmers – the majority of whom should “be participants in and beneficiaries of the development and growth of the coconut industry” [Presidential Decree No. 1468]. The 24% Coconut Industry Investment Fund-San Miguel Corporation (CIIF-SMC) shares was finally declared by the Supreme Court to be owned by the government to be used only for the benefit of all coconut farmers and for the development of the coconut industry. And in accordance with this decision, SMC paid the government some P71 billion in cash upon redemption of the subject shares in October 2012. It is government’s obligation, being holder in trust for the coconut farmers, to determine meaningful programs for the eventual utilization of the said fund. But after almost two years not a single word had been heard from His Excellency on this controversial coco levy issue. Disturbingly, the long-time (14 years) lawyer of San Miguel Corporation (which is controlled by Danding Cojuangco) was last appointed by His Excellency as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court! This is aside from the appointment of many individuals identified with Danding Cojuangco in the leadership of various corporations set up by the coco levy, the UCPB-CIIF Group of Companies. In the midst of this deafening silence and recent development, various government agencies have been heard to be scampering to dip their hands on the P71 billion. Proposals to use the fund in the construction of farm to market roads, conditional cash transfer, fast tracking agrarian reform implementation in coconut lands, and the regular rehabilitation have been floated in Malacanang. All of these proposals are mere extensions of already existing programs with accompanying budget allocations by Congress. This implies that the coco levy fund is generally viewed by government to be simply public funds which can be pulled out anytime as long as it is used for the sector. Worse, the United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) and Cocolife Insurance had sought legal remedies in court to chew off some P14 billion from the recovered fund. The CIIF Oil Mills Group is following closely, wanting to partake of more than P2 billion to sustain their operations. All of these, insultingly, in the name of the coconut farmers once more! We fear the recovered fund will get dissipated in the remaining years of this Administration and the 3.5 million coconut farmers will remain poor. KILUS Magniniyog contends that the coconut levy fund, coming from contributions of the coconut famers, is a special fund that needs to be utilized to effectively and directly impact on their lives. This was the original intent of all the Presidential Decrees that ordered the collection of the coconut levies. To the detriment of the lot of coconut farmers, however, the PDs were used to legalize the plunder of the coconut industry for the benefit of only a privileged few – the Marcos cronies headed by Eduardo “Danding Cojuangco, Jr. Even the Courts recognize the special nature and character of the coco levy fund: “It is high time that the real beneficiaries of the coconut levy funds, the coconut farmers who contributed to it, and the entire coconut industry be given a chance to reap the benefits that are due them.” [Sandiganbayan / December 2008] Now that a portion (P71 billion) of the fund had been recovered after decades of struggle, history dictates that vigilance by the farmers is imperative to correct the grave injustice perpetrated under Martial Law and prevent a repeat of the massive deception to the coconut farming communities. KILUS Magniniyog is marching for 71 days to Malacanang, all the way from Davao to Manila, to ask the President to issue an Executive Order to protect the initial P71 billion from dissipation by creating a PERPETUAL COCONUT FARMERS’ TRUST FUND and ensure direct benefits of the lot of impoverished small coconut farmers and their communities. The perpetual fund must be managed judiciously, with substantial small coconut farmers’ representation, using only annual interest earnings for implementation of programs focused on: 1) financing of programs or assistance for the direct benefit of the coconut farmers; 2) increased productivity of the coconut industry; and, 3) development of coconut-based enterprises and other anti-poverty programs. All three programs must complement each other to introduce socio-economic reforms that may improve the lives of the millions of impoverished small coconut farmers while paving the way to a stable and sustainable coconut industry. One such potential program is the establishment of village-level integrated coconut hubs – integrated processing facilities that would draw the full potential for value-addition for coconuts; accessible to the coconut farms and farmers in the barangays; the fruits and benefits of the hubs are shared with the communities; and the enterprises are owned or controlled by small coconut farmers through their cooperatives. The Coco Hubs will essentially veer towards moving away from the traditional copra-making. The copra culture promoted by the coconut monopoly had wasted much of the real potential of coconuts and had kept the millions of coconut farmers in dire poverty. More importantly, participation of the small coconut farmers and their communities should be made one of the primary concerns of the abovementioned programs in order to be successful. Therefore, apart from continuing consultations, coco farmer representation in the Coco Farmer Trust Fund Committee is crucial. As KILUS Magniniyog recognizes that an Executive Order from the President will have immediate and short-term impact, it had filed a peoples’ initiative bill in both the House of Representatives and the Senate for the creation of the Coconut Farmers’ Trust Fund. As such KILUS Magniniyog shall be pushing for the President to certify the bills as urgent measures. Ably supported by various sectors, the Church, development NGOs, schools, media institutions, individual advocates and friends, we dare march to victory! We expect to reach Malacanang with our support groups on 26 November 2014. We hope His Excellency has already studied our proposal and come out with positive response which we believe are just, timely, and highly doable. We would be glad if you meet with the 71 marchers in a dialogue bringing the good news of a signed KILUS Magniniyog’s proposed Executive Order, a draft was already received by your office on July 2, 2014, and a copy of the letter to both houses of Congress certifying the Coconut Trust Fund Bill as urgent legislation. Sincerely yours, Kilusan para sa Ugnayan ng mga Samahan ng Magniniyog kilus.magniniyog@gmail contact (soc banzuela 09175410541) #NoynoyAquinoPNoy #KikoPangilinan #DinkySoliman #ButchAbad #GingDeles #NationalAntiPovertyCommission #OfficeofthePresidentofthePhilippines #BishopAntonioLuisGTagle #KM71MartsangMagniniyog Prof.WinnieMonsod #JoseRamonTVillarinJett Villarin #TheCatholicEducatorsofthePhilippines #KoalisyonngMamamayanParasaReporma #CatholicBishopsConferenceofthePhilippines #CBCPNews # CeresPDoyo #MaharMangahas #PhilippineDailyInquirer #Rappler #DepartmentofBudgetandManagement #DepartmentofAgriculturePhilippines #Department of Finance #Department of Social Welfare and Development #KarinaConstantinoDavid #RandyDavid #RaulPangalangan #ARCampaign #SAVETHECOCONUTMOVEMENT #ACocoNut (Coir) #NationalAntiPovertyCommission #EdelGuiza #WigbertoKa BobbyTañada #ErinTañada #PakisamaPambansangKilusanngmgaSamahangMagsasaka #PhilippineCoconutAuthority #ABSCBNnewscom #GMANews #TV5 #AteneansforAgrarianReformMovementAFARM # #AteneodeManila #DeLaSalleUniversity #UniversityofthePhilippinesDiliman #CaucusofDevelopmentNGONetworks #RepKakaJBagao #XavierAlpasa
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 07:43:55 +0000
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