The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) castigated the Macapagal-Arroyo regime for planning to sell the coco shares in the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) and the United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB). 

“This is a most dastardly and treacherous act against the small coconut farmers who have fought long and hard to regain the coco levy funds. Now the first act of Gloria during the new year is to betray them. No wonder that most of the rulings are somewhat in favor of the small farmers but what Gloria is planning all along is to amass the more than P 130 billion coco levy fund for herself, in the pretext that it would be used for the ailing economy,” said Ka Willy Marbella, spokesperson of KMP

“In a sense this move was to be expected because the ulterior motive of Gloria was to get her hands on the funds in the long run. As can be remembered the coco levy fund was in the middle of the controversy of the moves to oust Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide on November 2003, which Gloria and Danding Cojuangco hatched so that they can share the spoils. The plan backfired and now Gloria wants it all for herself,” added Marbella

As for his part Carl Anthony Ala, public information officer of KMP, ” peasants once again have been the “buena mano” for the year of Gloria’s anti-people policies. But she is highly mistaken if she thinks that we would take this sitting-down.We will fight for this till the end because it rightfully belongs to the small coconut farmers,”

“What should be done is that a trust fund should be formed that is managed and dispensed by genuine coconut farmers themselves and not the government who only wants to get its greedy hands on the fruit of the hardwork, sweat, blood and struggle of peasants,” ended Ala. # # #  
 

KMP - 2 January 2005