Farming in
the Philippines

On the coco levy row:
Farmers urged Angara, Drilon, Roco
to reveal principals of
14 holding companies

by Rafael Mariano, KMP National Chairperson
December 13, 2001

The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pillpinas (KMP) today urged Senators Edgardo Angara, Franklin Drilon and Educatlon Secretary Raul Roco to take the lead in revealing the principals of 14 holding compantes accused in plundering a big chunk of the P130 billion coconut levy scandal from small coconut farmers or they will lose their moral ascendancy as pubilc officials.

The KMP also welcomed the disclosure of former solicitor general Frank Chavez and the calls of the Philippine Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to reveal the principals in the coconut levy scandal and once and for all resolve the issue and return the funds to its real owners.

"As former ACCRA lawyers, we hope Senators Angara, Drilon and Secretary Roco could shed light on this systematic plunder. They must take the lead in revealing those who are involved in this multi-billion coconut levy scam," declared KMP Chair Rafael Mariano.

But Mariano warned that Angara and Drilon must inhibit themselves from the Senate's investigation on the coco levy scandal for the sake of justice and truth.

"If Angara, Brilon, and Roco do not take the lead in disclosing the plunderers behind the coconut levy and inhibit themselves from the investigation, they do not have the moral ascendancy in holding public office," he stressed.

The KMP maintains that "the coconut levy funds are ill-gotten, a public fund, that was forcibly extracted from small coconut farmers in the form of tax."

"Any kind of compromise with Cojuangco and his cohorts is highly unacceptable, illegal and immoral because they do not have any single right to the P130 billion coco levy fund. It (coco levy fund) must be immediately returned to its rightful owners, genuine small coconut farmers."

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