Poe camp to critics: Don’t muddle coco levy issue

Sen. Grace Poe. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Any attempts to “muddle” the issue of the government’s non-disbursement of coco levy funds would be another “injustice” to Filipino farmers who should benefit from it, Senator Grace Poe’s spokesman said on Thursday.

Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian pointed out that the ball is now in the government’s court after the Supreme Court ruled with finality that the coco levy funds belonged to the public.

“Senator Grace Poe is committed to helping thousands of poor coconut farmers in the country by increasing the budget allocation for the agriculture sector and tapping the coco levy funds, which the government has been withholding from farmers despite the Supreme Court’s decision with finality that the coco levy funds are public funds and should be utilized to help the coconut industry,” Gatchalian said in a statement.

With the SC decision, he said, “the ball is now in the government’s court whether it wants to abide by the high tribunal’s ruling to distribute the funds or not to our coconut farmers, who comprise majority of the poorest in the country.”

“Attempts to muddle the issue of the government’s non-disbursement of coco levy funds, which rightfully belong to coco farmers, will not address the problems of the ailing coconut industry. This is another injustice to our farmers,” Gatchalian added.

He issued the said statement as some groups criticized Poe for supposedly defending businessman Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., who chairs the San Miguel Corporation, which was among the businesses that were allegedly bought using the controversial coco levy funds.

READ: Duterte camp calls Poe a ‘puppet’ for defending Danding Cojuangco on coco levy

The coco levy refers to taxes or contributions collected from coconut farmers, planters and millers during the martial law years.

Poe earlier said that Cojuangco has no control over the funds since all shares bought using the coco levy funds are now with the government.

READ: Grace defends Danding on coco levy

“Tungkol doon sa coco levy fund, pati ako inip na inip na. Bata pa lang ako naririnig ko na ‘yan. Kinamatayan na ng mga nagreklamo tungkol diyan,” she said, responding to a reporter’s question during a press conference in Candelaria on Wednesday.

(I’m getting impatient as well with regard to coco levy fund. I’ve been hearing about it since I was little. Some even died while petitioning for it.)

“Ang problema hindi naman kontrolado ng mga nabanggit mo—ng mga Cojuangco, ni Danding Cojuangco—ito sapagkat nasa gobyerno na lahat ng share diyan sa coco levy.”

(The problem is those you mentioned have no longer control over it—the Cojuangcos especially Danding Cojuangco—because coco levy funds are now with the government.)

“In fact, ‘yung Korte Suprema may desisyon na diyan kung paano, na dapat i-release na ‘yan. Kaso ‘yung gobyerno natin mayroon pa silang mga ideya kung paano gagamitin ‘yon imbes na diretso lamang at malinaw sa mga coco farmers,” Poe added.

(In fact, the Supreme Court has decided what to do about it, that it should be released. However, our government has other ideas on how it will be used instead of a clear and direct (distribution) to coco farmers.) RAM