Duterte wants ‘clean’ PCA board

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Duterte wanted a “clean slate” at the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) board free of graft and corruption amid efforts that the almost P100-billion coconut levy fund would be released to its beneficiaries.

Duterte said the PCA board shall then be responsible for the coconut levy fund and he wants its five-member board to protect the fund.

The President also announced on Friday the appointment of former Philippine Air Force (PAF) chief Lt. Gen. Galileo Gerald Kintanar as the new PCA chairman.

Duterte made the announcement on Kintanar’s appointment during the PAF change of command ceremony at Villamor Air Base. 

Although Kintanar is more than a year away from retirement, he was replaced by Western Command chief Lt. Gen. Rozzano Briguez.

Duterte stressed he wanted Kintanar to head the five-member PCA board as he earlier asked all its members to resign. 

“So I believe that the courtesy resignations are there. And maybe I will just ask him (Kintanar) to help me. He can choose the people he wants there in the coconut authority,” Duterte said.

The President said he wanted a complete stop to robbing the government and the people of their money, which was the reason why he appointed Kintanar as PCA chair. 

Duterte also cited the progress in the move to return the coconut levy fund to the farmers. The fund now amounts to least P100 billion after interest accrued from its initial amount of P87 billion. 

“I believe that they (Congress) are crafting a law which says that the levy money, the coconut levy should be returned to the farmers,” he said.

Duterte also said that with the coco levy fund now reaching P100 billion and coursed through the PCA board, he could not trust its former members. 

“This is not …nothing about prejudice or prejudgment. I am not comfortable with all the people in that agency for historically, it has also been plagued with corruption. So I have asked them to tender resignation as a matter of courtesy,” he said. 

Duterte pointed out he needs somebody who is “above the rest of the crowd” to head the PCA board, that was why he chose Kintanar. 

Duterte said he conferred with the rest of the Cabinet members, saying he was looking for a candidate to be PCA chair, someone that he could really rely on and trust that nothing, not even a peso, would be lost.

“And I have observed him. I do not know General Kintanar but I chose him to be the chairman of that board. I don’t know him. I know that he’s a general who chose to retire early. And that is really no cause to worry. It’s just a few months. But I told him: I need someone like you and I am eyeing you,” Duterte said.

“So when the time comes and if I can get the mechanisms of how the money will be distributed to the beneficiaries and if I look for somebody I can trust with that money, it shall be the retired General Kintanar,” he said. 

The President also told Kintanar he would make the announcement for his new appointment.

“I told the general: Would you mind if I make the announcement? It is not premature because the post there is vacant. And if you don’t get out from there, I can fire you anytime and I’ll replace you,” Duterte said.