New CIIF chief faces graft charges

Two coconut farmers’ groups filed graft charges yesterday against the newly appointed chief of the Coconut Investment Industry Fund, Danilo Coronacion.

Coronacion allegedly failed to distribute fertilizer to them worth nearly P130 million during his stint as chief of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).

The bags of fertilizer, meant for free distribution to small farmers, remained stocked in warehouses since 2001, the Katipunan ng mga Maliliit na Magniniyog sa Pilipinas and the Ugnayang Kapatirang Nagsasariling Organisasyon sa Kanayunan stated in their complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman.

The farmers’ groups alleged that Coronacion did not inform the PCA governing board about the fertilizer "for appropriate action" before he gave up his post in 2004.

"Neither did he brief nor apprise the incoming administrator (now former PCA chief Evangeline Valbuena) on the matter pertaining to the undelivered fertilizer," they stated in their complaint.

"Coronacion was very much aware of the huge quantities of fertilizer stored in private warehouses in the Bicol region which were supposed to be delivered by the private contractors as early as 1997 and 1998."

The fertilizer — bought with a $121,000 loan from the World Bank — was meant for free distribution under a government subsidy program.

Coronacion "totally disregarded" a December 2000 Commission on Audit report stating that 529,000 bags of various fertilizers had yet to be distributed to small coconut farmers. — With Katherine Adraneda