Farming in
the Philippines

Farmers want Danding out of SMC

by Rafael Mariano, KMP National Chairperson
December 17, 2001

The militant Kilusang Maghubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), the Bicol Coconut Planters Association, Inc. (BCPAI) and the Pinag-isang Lakas ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Quezon (Piglas-Quezon) on Monday, urged the Macapagal-Arroyo government to decisively oust Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr. and all Estrada-Cojuangco appointees in the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) and immediately replace them with representatives of small coconut farmers as legitimate owners of the coconut levy funds.

"Ms. Macapagal's statement that she has no intention of ousting Cojuangco from the top post of the SMC clearly shows the government's policy of political accommodation and compromise. It is not hard now to conclude that Cojuangco is the President's ally," says KMP Chair Rafael Mariano.

Mariano also said that "for the sake of truth, justice, and the interest of small coconut farmers, the government must decisively oust Cojuangco and all Estrada appointees in the SMC and UCPB. They must be immediately replaced with representatives of small coconut farmers and of their own and free choices. The small coconut farmers are the legitimate owners of the coconut levy funds that acquired the great majority of the SMC, UCPB shares and other coconut levy funded assets."

The KMP also called for an outright rejection of the Cojuangco-Kirin Co. Ltd. deal and the freezing of selling and all transactions involving the SMC shares acquired through the coconut levy funds to halt all Cojuangco-initiated maneuvers to evade the confiscation and sequestration of the funds from SMC.

"We call on the Macapagal-Arroyo government to reject the stocks manipulation done by Cojuangro and Kirin. The government must immediately freeze all transactions in the SMC to stop all Cojuangco-instigated maneuvers to tighten his grip over the coconut levy funds," Mariano added.

"Cojuangco and his cohorts are very desperate to hold onto the coconut levy funds. They will exhaust all legal and illegal schemes just to evade sequestration and further consolidate their political and economic power," the KMP leader stressed.

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)
Peasant Movement of the Philippines
URL: http:/www.geocities.com/kmp_ph

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