Farmers ready for compromise with Danding — PCGG

Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Chairman Camilo Sabio said yesterday that coconut farmers groups have already agreed to a compromise deal with San Miguel Corp. (SMC) chairman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr. and other stakeholders of the controversial coconut levy fund.

Sabio made the announcement before employees of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in Quezon City.

He said earlier that farmers groups led by Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Archbishop Fernando Capalla had appealed for a settlement of the coco levy funds case. The ownership of the funds has been contested for almost two decades now.

In June last year, Capalla assisted the farmers in airing their appeal in Malacañang. "Many of our members are already dying. We are getting old and yet the coconut levy funds which should be utilized for the benefit of the farmers and the coconut industry could not be touched until now," the farmers were quoted as saying.

After the dialogue with farmers, President Arroyo ordered that regional consultations be held, with the PCA acting as the secretariat and the PCGG supervising the meetings. There were 10 consultations and two national meetings held.

"I have read the result (of the meetings) and there is a consensus to enter into an out-of-court settlement," Sabio said, noting that the PCGG will wait for the terms of agreement to be made by those involved, including the farmers and Cojuangco.

"Of course the out-of-court settlement has to be agreed upon by all the parties, especially the farmers. I could not determine the terms and conditions. That is up to the farmers to decide. I understand there are ongoing negotiations between the leaders of the farmers and leaders of the other parties, including Coconut Federation (Cocofed) and the group of Ambassador Danding Cojuangco," he said.

"The PCGG will consider if these terms are not grossly disadvantageous to the government, and not contrary to law, morals, public order or public policy. These are the limitations. If they are agreed to by the parties, then we may have to approve this compromise agreement when they are presented to us," he added.

Sabio explained that under the law, a compromise agreement is encouraged to expedite the disposition of the case and to spare the parties unnecessary expense. However, in any out-of-court settlement there has to be mutual concessions.

"The vital purpose, with respect to the compromise before the PCGG, is national interest and national survival. Even during the time of former senator Jovito Salonga there were compromises and out-of-court settlements entered into by the PCGG," he said.

Salonga was the first chairman of the PCGG in 1986. Some of the compromise deals entered into by the PCGG, Sabio said, were with alleged cronies of the Marcoses, including former ambassador Roberto Benedicto, Antonio Floirendo and Jose Yao Campos.

In fact, Sabio said, the office the PCGG is now occupying is under the name of Campos but was actually owned by former President Ferdinand Marcos and his family.

During the time of Salonga, Campos surrendered the properties to avoid being sued before the courts, and for him to retain some of the properties under his name, Sabio said. — Sandy Araneta