Duterte, Cayetano vow to distribute P71-B coco levy fund to farmers  

 

The tandem of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano promised coconut farmers on Wednesday that the undistributed P71 billion coco levy funds will be released within 100 days in office, if elected.

 

This was discussed during the pair’s “Rondaserye” listening tour with coconut farmers in Catanauan, Quezon where coconut production is one of the main sources of livelihood. They presented a manifesto titled “Panata para sa Maliliit na Magniniyog” detailing their plans on the undistributed coco levy funds.

 

“Sa unang 100 araw na pamamahala, sisiguruhin natin na mapapakinabangan ng mga magniniyog ang coco levy fund,” the tandem said in the manifesto they signed.  

 

Aside from that, Duterte and Cayetano also promised to provide additional budget for the development and modernization of the coconut industry, specifically in terms of infrastructure, research, and marketing. They also said that they pursue the remaining part of the fund.

 

“Apat na dekada na ang nakakaraan simula ng patawan ng buwis ang milyun-milyong magniniyog. Hanggang ngayon, naghihintay pa rin sila ng hustisya sa pondo na dapat ay matagal na nilang pinakinabangan,” the manifesto wrote.

 

“Panahon na para maramdaman ng maliliit na magniniyog ang tulong ng isang gobyernong maghahatid ng tunay na pagbabago. By exercising political will, Mayor Duterte and I will ensure that our coconut farmers will directly benefit from the coco levy fund, and that the money that was wrongfully taken away from them will be recovered,” Cayetano said.

 

In a meeting with farmers based in Los Baños, Laguna on March 11, Duterte said that the Supreme Court has decided that the money belongs to the people as early as 2012. The coco levy funds came from the taxes imposed on coconut farmers during the Martial Law years by alleged cronies of then President Ferdinand Marcos.

 

“Matagal na iyan. By this pronouncement,  it should have been given to the rightful owners," he said.

 

Duterte once revealed that his mother should have been one of the recipients of the coco levy fund, but she already passed away.  — APG, GMA News