An alliance of groups of small coconut farmers in the Visayas is demanding the resignation of Philippine Commission on Good Government chairman Camilo Sabio.

Herminio La Viña, spokesperson of the Alyansa sa mga Mag-uuma ug Mamomoo sa Lubi - Visayas (Alliance of Coconut Farmers and Workers -Visayas), said in a phone interview that Sabio is completely reversing the spirit and the legacy of his predecessor, Hayde Yorac.

He said the late Yorac had worked aggressively in favor of the small coconut farmers. Reacting to a report in a national daily recently that quoted Sabio as saying that PCGG is open to a compromise agreement between the nation's coconut farmers and businessman "Danding" Cojuangco, La Viña said Sabio has shown his true color.

What Sabio should have done, La Viña added, was to support the cause of the claimants, especially with the earlier ruling of the Supreme Court declaring that the coco levy funds are prima facie public funds.

He added that the Sandiganbayan also ruled on May 7, 2004 that, the 27 percent Coconut Industry Investment Fund block of San Miguel Corporation shares of stocks amounting to about P50 billion is owned by the government and just "held in trust" for the benefit of the small coconut farmers.

La Viña said Sabio should support a motion for the execution of the Sandiganbayan's judgment filed by the Office of the Solicitor General, with the graft court on August 9.

"We are already winning in that case, why should we compromise?" La Viña asked.

When reminded that, Sabio, in that report, stressed that PCGG would only favor a compromise agreement if the farmers would agree to it, La Viña said Sabio's actions betray his claim.

Eugene Quirante, regional liaison officer of the Philippine Peasant Institute in Region 7, and member of the secretariat of the Council of Leaders of the ALYANSA-LUBI said the Philippine Coconut Authority, Bishop Ulama Priests Pastors Farmers Lumad Conference and the PCGG have been purportedly conducting consultations in the Visayas on the issue.

Quirante said Sabio's actuations indicated that the PCGG chair is actually pushing for a compromise agreement.

In a "Statement of Grave Concern," the Council of Leaders of the alliance lamented that, "Despite the fact that the Office of the Solicitor General had filed motions for a Writ of Execution last August 9, the same group is now peddling through mock consultations in Visayas and projecting that coco levy cases can only be decided with finality in a compromise, i. e. out of court settlement."

"No less than the new PCGG chairman (Camilo Sabio) and other government agency key officers are spearheading the campaign for a compromise," the statement added.*RA

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