The so-called national convention of coconut farmers recently held in Davao organized by the BUPPFALUC is discordant (perhaps bizarre would be more apt) in the light of the nation’s remembrance of the EDSA People Power Revolution, which was a stand against dictatorship and cronyism.

The sponsors of the convention claim that they are helping the coconut farmers by unlocking the coco levy funds. In reality, they are pushing for a compromise deal between the coconut farmers and Mr. Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, Jr., a known crony of former president Ferdinand Marcos, and the very person implicated in the coco levy scam.

Why pursue a compromise agreement when the Sandiganbayan already passed a ruling that the coco levy funds are owned by the government “in trust” for all coconut farmers. Doing so only dilutes the judicial victories of small coconut farmers.

An out-of-court settlement at this time lacks factual basis. Clearly, there is no sense of moral decency or even mere common sense among those who are willing to compromise the judicial victories of the small coconut farmers. What government should pursue is the writ of execution filed by the Office of the Solicitor General at the Sandiganbayan.

The convention sponsors also claim that there is no opposition to the compromise agreement. This is a blatant lie. The BUPPFALUC is fully aware that a large section of small coconut farmers are against the compromise agreement that they have been peddling since last year.

To claim that the farmers have achieved a “consensus” over the compromise agreement bespeaks of gross misrepresentation and exposes the sinister motives of those pushing for the agreement. Their assurance that the coconut levy funds would be distributed expeditiously through a compromise agreement becomes even more suspect in the light of the upcoming elections. The promise of money that coincides with the start of a campaign period is cause for alarm.

Omi Royandoyan
Centro Saka

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