The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) reiterated its call for the freezing of the coco levy funds in lieau of the expose’ of former Presidential Commission on Good Government chair Haydee Yorac that the coco levy funds are being used by the top officers of the Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF), a group of companies set up using the coco levy funds. 

According to Ka Willy Marbella, internal deputy secretary of KMP, “ what we feared is now happening, the fund which is the product of the sweat and blood of small coconut farmers are again being embezzled by high living governnment officials, before we know it the funds are already gone and the real owners have not even benefitted from it,”

“We are now asking the Supreme Court or any government body that has the power to immediately freeze the coco ley funds and all the assets acquired with it until it is ensured that the real owners of the funds are the ones who would control and manage it,” added the peasant leader.

On the other hand Carl Anthony Ala, public information officer of the group said that “ a full investigation should be done regarding the complaints aired by Miss Yorac regarding the officials of the CIIF particularly its president Rolando Golez ,”

“Rolando Golez should also resign because of his lavish lifestyle at the expense of small coconut farmers. For he authorized the buying of P19.5 M worth of vehicles, used P960,000 for club expenses and P2 million for his travelling expenses.This he did while only 16 months in office,” added Ala.

“We are also calling for the abolition of the CIIF because it is being used as a cover to spend the coco levy funds,heads should roll and we hope the current PCGG chair Camilo Sabio would not turn a blind eye to this disgraceful conduct” ended Ala. # # #
 

KMP - 6 May 2005