Sign an Executive Order creating a Coconut Farmers' Trust Fund and certify as urgent the initiative bill version filed in both Houses of Congress
Sign an Executive Order creating a Coconut Farmers' Trust Fund and certify as urgent the initiative bill version filed in both Houses of Congress
The Issue
LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT
in support of the coco farmers march 71
Dear Mr. President,
We have been witnessing in the social, broadcast and print media the 1,750-km long march of 71 coconut farmers representing nine national farmers federations of KILUS Magniniyog. The March started in Davao City on September 21, 2014 on the 42nd anniversary of Martial Law -- the repressive regime which apparently made legal the coco levy scam.
We hear the coconut farmers' cry for historic justice. We join them in their protest against the biggest scam that hit our country; the collection, consolidation and misuse of billions of coco levy for a privileged few -- the Marcos cronies headed by Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, Jr. We are deeply worried your administration, Mr. President, may not be responding adequately to their plight, allowing the recovered 71 billion peso coco levy funds in the national treasury and UCPB to remain unutilized for the farmers' benefit over the past two years. In fact, your administration is known for appointing many individuals identified with Danding Cojuangco in the leadership of various corporations set up by the coco levy, the UCPB-CIIF Group of Companies, and even in the Supreme Court. Many now fear the recovered fund may get dissipated in the remaining years of your Administration. And worse, with naught an attempt to uplift the lives of the poor and marginalized small coconut farmers.
We believe in their proposals. We believe in KILUS Magniniyog's contention that the coconut levy fund, coming from contributions of the coconut farmers themselves, is a special fund that needs to be utilized judiciously and effectively in a manner directly impacting their lives. We believe the recovered coconut levy fund must be put in a perpetual trust fund, the annual interest earnings of which should be used to bring about substantial and meaningful programs to uplift from poverty the 3.5 million small coconut farmers and their families and to develop the coconut industry with it by establishing community-level integrated coconut processing plants in their respective municipalities. We believe that the small coconut farmers should be given substantial participation in the Coco Farmer Trust Fund mechanism that may be established by your Administration's fiats. We believe the demands of the marchers to be just, timely, and doable. We urge you to heed their calls as the sector represents a fourth of our population. We urge you likewise to meet with them in a dialogue bringing the good news of an Executive Order and a copy of the letter to both houses of Congress certifying the Coconut Trust Fund Bill as urgent legislation for the 16th Congress.
May this one act of justice be one of your legacies.
The Issue
LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT
in support of the coco farmers march 71
Dear Mr. President,
We have been witnessing in the social, broadcast and print media the 1,750-km long march of 71 coconut farmers representing nine national farmers federations of KILUS Magniniyog. The March started in Davao City on September 21, 2014 on the 42nd anniversary of Martial Law -- the repressive regime which apparently made legal the coco levy scam.
We hear the coconut farmers' cry for historic justice. We join them in their protest against the biggest scam that hit our country; the collection, consolidation and misuse of billions of coco levy for a privileged few -- the Marcos cronies headed by Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, Jr. We are deeply worried your administration, Mr. President, may not be responding adequately to their plight, allowing the recovered 71 billion peso coco levy funds in the national treasury and UCPB to remain unutilized for the farmers' benefit over the past two years. In fact, your administration is known for appointing many individuals identified with Danding Cojuangco in the leadership of various corporations set up by the coco levy, the UCPB-CIIF Group of Companies, and even in the Supreme Court. Many now fear the recovered fund may get dissipated in the remaining years of your Administration. And worse, with naught an attempt to uplift the lives of the poor and marginalized small coconut farmers.
We believe in their proposals. We believe in KILUS Magniniyog's contention that the coconut levy fund, coming from contributions of the coconut farmers themselves, is a special fund that needs to be utilized judiciously and effectively in a manner directly impacting their lives. We believe the recovered coconut levy fund must be put in a perpetual trust fund, the annual interest earnings of which should be used to bring about substantial and meaningful programs to uplift from poverty the 3.5 million small coconut farmers and their families and to develop the coconut industry with it by establishing community-level integrated coconut processing plants in their respective municipalities. We believe that the small coconut farmers should be given substantial participation in the Coco Farmer Trust Fund mechanism that may be established by your Administration's fiats. We believe the demands of the marchers to be just, timely, and doable. We urge you to heed their calls as the sector represents a fourth of our population. We urge you likewise to meet with them in a dialogue bringing the good news of an Executive Order and a copy of the letter to both houses of Congress certifying the Coconut Trust Fund Bill as urgent legislation for the 16th Congress.
May this one act of justice be one of your legacies.
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Petition created on October 7, 2014