CBCP body asks senators to oppose amendments to coco levy fund bill

^{Former CBCP President Soc Villegas and the KILUS Magniniyog farmers during a march rally  in November 2017. --KILUS Magniniyog file photo.}

The Catholic Church's social action arm on Sunday called on senators to junk some provisions of the pending senate bill on the coco levy stock, claiming that some amendments to the measure would deny farmers their right to decide on the P75-billion fund.

Father Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA), made the call ahead of this coming Monday's deliberations on Senate Bill 1233, also known as the Coconut Farmers' and Industry Trust Fund.

NASSA or Caritas Philippines, is at the forefront of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Social Action-Justice and Peace's advocacy for the concerns of marginalized sectors. 

"Coconut farmers have suffered enough and this 40-year injustice has to end. We are appealing to our senators to give our farmers their right to decide on what to do with the coco levies," Gariguez said.

The Catholic Church has been supporting farmers in their struggle to recover and manage the coco levy fund, which belongs to them. 

^{KILUS Magniniyog farmers during a march rally at Mendiola in November 2017. --KILUS Magniniyog file photo.}

In a letter sent to the senators, Gariguez, together with the farmers' group KILUS Magniniyog, pointed out that the coco levies must be treated as a special fund and not as part of the general fund.

Thus, it must be used solely to develop the coconut industry with small coconut farmers as direct participants and primary beneficiaries.

Likewise, the farmers' group said that while the Philippine Coconut Authority needs reforms, it should not be part of the proposed law because the reconstituted PCA governing board may run the risk of being struck down in court as unconstitutional body.

There is also a question on the PCA charter, which is limited only to coconut oil production, and as such, it may be overburdened by its other regulatory functions.

"Historically, the PCA was part of the coco levy scam itself. It is also a Government-Owned and Controlled Corporation (GOCC), whose primary function is to generate revenues," according to Gariguez .

Moreover, he reiterated the need to immediately enact the Coconut Farmers' Trust Fund Law, which will provide a Trust Fund Committee composed of majority of farmers, paving the way for the just utilization, management and administration of the recovered coco levy fund.

At least 3.5 million coconut farmers, who have waited 40 years for justice to be served, will benefit from the passage of the law.

Soc Banzuela, executive director of KILUS Magniniyog said, “Justice for coconut farmers has been so delayed, thus the need for the immediate passage of SB 1233, without any amendments.”

To heighten calls for the passage of the bill, coconut farmers represented by KILUS Magniniyog will march again to senate on Monday.

In September last year, the House of Representatives passed version of the coco levy bill.  The farmers want to see the Senate version passed before the 17th Congress closes by the end of the year. —LBG, GMA News