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Macapagal-Arroyo Deal with Cojuangco Plunderous --- Coco Farmers

Coconut farmers stormed San Miguel Corporation's (SMC) stockholder's meeting last February 27 in Pasig City to oppose the signing of the $540-million buy-in deal with Japan-based Kirin Co. Ltd. The coco farmers demanded the ouster of SMC chair Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.

BY BULATLAT.COM

More than 100 small coconut farmers, about 20 of them from Bicol, stormed last Feb. 27, San Miguel Corporation's (SMC) stockholder's meeting in Pasig City to oppose the signing of the $540 million buy-in deal with Japan based Kirin Co. Ltd., Kaiba News and Features reported this week. The coco farmers were calling for the ouster of SMC chair Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr.

Led by the militant Bicol Coconut Planters Association, Inc. (BCPAI), Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), and Pinag-isang Lakas ng Magbubukid sa Quezon (Piglas-Quezon), the rallyers also urged newly-installed government representatives to the SMC board to defy President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's orders to sign the deal. Instead, they said, the new board members should work for the immediate pull-out and return of the coco levy fund shares to genuine small coconut farmers.

Last Feb. 23, Cojuangco and Philippine Commission on Good Government (PCGG) chair Haydee Yorac signed a deal that would allow Cojuangco to remain as SMC chair for another two years.

Delio Apolinar, BCPAI spokesperson, said "Ms. Macapagal is shamelessly doing business with plunderers like Cojuangco."

"In the President's visit to Camarines Sur last Feb. 20, she spread lies and rumors that her government's agricultural development program came from the coco levy fund returns from SMC. Ms Macapagal is obviously campaigning for Cojuangco for SMC chairmanship and the 2004 presidential (election) showdown," Apolinar said.

On the other hand, Rafael Mariano, KMP national chair, said that the deal about a power sharing with Cojuangco or retaining his SMC chairmanship for two years through an interim agreement is a “public endorsement of the President and the PCGG for Cojuangco's candidacy for the SMC chairmanship up to the 2004 presidential race.”

“This is undoubtedly inimical to the interests of small coconut farmers," he said.

"Small coconut farmers hope to recover the coco levy funds (amounting to about PhP130 billion) from Cojuangco's hands remains dim under the Macapagal-Arroyo government,” Mariano also said. “Instead of working for the immediate return of the funds to small coconut farmers, Ms Macapagal has strengthened Cojuangco's monopoly and control over the funds."

The peasant groups maintain that the coco levy funds are public funds forcibly extracted from small coconut farmers during the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship. Bulatlat.com

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