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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

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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).

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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.