No promises but Suarez banks on UniTeam win for release of Marcos-era coco levy
QUEZON, Philippines — Quezon Gov. Danilo Suarez is pinning his hopes on presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s win for coconut farmers in the province to receive what they were promised under the former senator's father.
Suarez hosted a mini-rally at the Tiaong Convention Center for Marcos, his running-mate Sara Duterte-Carpio and the rest of the UniTeam on early Tuesday morning, with some saying they got to the venue at 4 a.m., around five hours before Marcos was set to address them.
Like in 2016, Suarez is backing Marcos’ bid although the latter lost to Vice President Leni Robredo then. The governor said that, this time, he "can feel the sympathy of the people... I can feel the gut, the feeling of my province mates."
Suarez wants to help catapult Marcos to Malacañang.
"We just want to see his assurance because we are a coconut-producing province that they will help us to support coco levy. Return to farmers the money that was ordered by the Supreme Court, it will not go anywhere except to the coconut farmers," he told reporters after the event.
But has Marcos made any promise to give the coconut farmers receive their dues because of his father’s scheme?
There are none so far, Suarez admitted. "I haven’t asked him yet," he added.
The governor also admitted he would need help from lawmakers for the money to be distributed. "Well, restoring it back to the farmers is an effort that has to be done in the Congress. I need the support of the senator, that is why I am telling senatorial candidates, ‘help us revert back the coco levy," he added.
Quezon Gov. Danilo Suarez of Lakas-CMD, also an Arroyo ally, backs Marcos. The incumbent gov also endorsed Marcos’ 2016 bid but he lost to Robredo in the province. @PhilstarNews pic.twitter.com/NxNL83aHQf
— Kristine Patag (@kristinepatag) March 23, 2022
Suarez denies ‘scam’
But will Marcos support a move that will essentially admit that his father did the coconut farmers wrong?
Suarez denied there was ever a scam. “Maling-mali talaga ‘yung sinasabi natin na the coco levy was taken advantage [of] by the crony of Marcos,” he insisted.
(It’s all wrong, what they were saying that the coco levy was taken advantage of by the crony of Marcos.)
The governor of the province where most people are coconut farmers said their money was never stolen.
"It was there, it earned interest. What we cannot implement is the ruling of the Supreme Court during the time of the Yellows that it should be reverted back to the coconut farmers," he added.
The Presidential Commission on Good Government, the body created to run after Marcos’ ill-gotten wealth, stated that dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies imposed a tax on coconut farmers and promised the money would be used to develop their industry and that the farmers will have a share in the investments.
Instead, Marcos and his men diverted the funds to establish corporations for their personal use.
The PCGG, on its website, said a total of P9.665 billion—a staggering amount even from 1973 to 1983—was collected, excluding the P100 million from Republic Act 6260, Marcos’ Coconut Investment Act.
The commission stressed: “But these coco levy funds were not used to benefit the farmers, instead diverted to purchase the United Coconut Planters Bank and San Miguel Corp. for the benefit of Marcos and his cronies.”
Marcos and the rest of UniTeam will hold a grand rally at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena town to culminate their day of wooing voters from the province.
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