March to Recover the Coco Levy Fund
-
Upload
ramon-t-ayco -
Category
Documents
-
view
215 -
download
0
Transcript of March to Recover the Coco Levy Fund
-
8/3/2019 March to Recover the Coco Levy Fund
1/3
March to Recover the Coco Levy Fund(From The Peoples Press December 2011)
The 7-day march to recover the Coco Levy Fund. Photo shows the marchers as they reached the Supreme Court
in Padre Faura Street, Manila on November 29.
A seven-day march, which started in Lucena
City, Quezon on November 24, was
launched to recover the coco levy fund. One
hundred twenty (120) farmers belonging tothe KATARUNGAN, COCO FARM-
Quezon and ALYANSA KANAYUNAN
from Southern Tagalog joined the march.
On November 28, the march arrived in
Laguna and passed through Calauan, Los
Baos, Calamba City and Sta. Rosa with
other farmer groups joining the march. On
November 29, the march reached Manila
and was joined by various civil society
organizations including the Project
Development Institute.
The PDI contingent as they join the 7-day march in Taft
Avenue, Manila
To recall: The Coco Levy Fund Scam was a controversy in the 1970s and 80's involving formerPresident
Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies. It is alleged that Marcos, Danding Cojuangco, Juan Ponce Enrile,
and others conspired to tax coconutfarmers, promising in return the development of the coconut industry
and a share in the investments. On the contrary the funds were used for personal profit particularly for
the purchase ofUnited Coconut Planters Bank(UCPB) and a majority stake in San Miguel Corporation
(SMC). Today the Fund is estimated to have ballooned in the range of P100-150 billion in assets.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Philippineshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Marcoshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cronyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danding_Cojuangcohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Ponce_Enrilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconuthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Coconut_Planters_Bankhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Miguel_Corporationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Miguel_Corporationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Coconut_Planters_Bankhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconuthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Ponce_Enrilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danding_Cojuangcohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cronyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Marcoshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Philippines -
8/3/2019 March to Recover the Coco Levy Fund
2/3
Paragos chairman, Ka Jimmy Tadeo, speaking on the
Coco Levy Fund scam.
The march culminated in a rally in front of the
Supreme Court to condemn its ruling in favor
of Eduardo Danding Cojuangco. Last April
2011, the High Tribunal ruled in favor of
Cojuangco and reversed the 2007
Sandiganbayan ruling which declared thatCojuangcos 20% shares of stock in San
Miguel Corporation was acquired using the
coco levy fund.
A statement of support for the farmers signed by CBCP-NASSA National Director Bishop
Broderick Pabillo, DD; Senator Wigberto Tanada, Ka Oca Santos and hundreds of peoples
organizations, states, Ang tatlong dekadang pakikibaka ng mga magsasaka ng niyog upang
kilalanin ang kanilang mga karapatan sa pagmamay-ari ng coco levy ay sumasalamin sa labis na
kamalian sa ating sistemang pangkatarungan. Sa kabila ng pasya ng Sandigan Bayan noong
2004 na nagpapatibay na ang pondo ay tunay na pampubliko, at ang mga magniniyog ay ang
dapat makinabang sa Coco Levy, sila ay nanatili pa ring namumuhay sa sukdulang kasalatan at
matinding kahirapan. (The three
decades of coconut farmers struggle
for the recognition of their right to
the coco levy fund reflects the
overwhelming mistakes of our justice
system. Despite the 2004 Sandigan
Bayans decision recognizing the
fund as genuinely public, and that the
coconut farmers should benefit from
the Coco Levy, they still lead lives of
extreme need andpoverty.)
The 7-day march as it reached Taft Avenue, Manila
Ed Mora, PKMP head.
The coconut farmers asked the Supreme Court to declare
them as the real owners of the coco levy fund. They also
asked President Aquino for his support.
Meanwhile, Ed Mora, head of the Panlipunang Kapisanan
ng mga Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (PKMP), said in an
interview that they are hopeful that this time the
government would be on their side. Sanay papasko saamin ng Supreme Court ang pagkaloob nitong coco levy
fund sa aming tunay na nagmamay-ari na mga magsasaka
ng niyog (We hope that this Christmas season theSupreme Court would finally rule in favor of the coconut
farmers who genuinely own the coco levy funds).
-
8/3/2019 March to Recover the Coco Levy Fund
3/3
Then picket-rally in front of the DAR central office in Quezon City.
Finally on November 30, the long walk
continued and reached the Department of
Agrarian Reform Central Office in
Quezon City where they conducted a
program to end the 7-day march. But the
marchers put up a camp-out in front of the
DAR office as a continuation of theirstruggle. On December 4, the whole mass
action was formally ended on a picket-
rally in front of that government office
with a call Save Agrarian Reform where
the protestors make a symbolic protest
noise by loudly shouting slogans and
heavily banging with stones the DAR
office gate. Written by Ramon T. Ayco,
Sr.; edited by Ms. Ely M. Santos.
The symbolic protest noise by heavily banging with stones the
DAR office gate.