The country’s most popular candidate on social media, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and his running mate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano vowed to distribute the controversial coco levy funds to farmers if elected into office this coming May 2016 national elections.
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and his running mate listened to the demands of small coconut farmers during their “Ronda Serye” in Catanauan, Quezon Province, one of the Philippines primary supplier of coconut produce for the past few years.
The undistributed multibillion-peso fund should be given back to the farmers during his first 100 days in office. Duterte’s running mate also stated that he would not allow the “cycle of neglect,” to continue under their administration.
The Duterte-Cayetano tandem already signed a three-point manifesto entitled “Panata para sa Maliliit na Magniniyog,” and pledge to end what the tandem described as the “sytematic oppression of small coconut farmers.”
According to Philippine history the coco levy fund scam dates back to the early 1970’s and 80’s involving the late Pres. Ferdinand Marcos with the help of businessman Danding Cojuangco and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile who conspired to tax coconut farmers.
Aside from the controversial coco levy funds distribution, the coconut farms also asked the Duterte-Cayetano tandem to focus on agrarian reform, arguing that even if te money is returned to them, if might still be useless if they are left landless.
