PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has vetoed a measure that seeks to strengthen the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), which oversees the coco levy fund.
A letter from the President containing the veto message was received by the Senate on Friday, February 8, Senate President Vicente Sotto III confirmed.
The President specifically vetoed the enrolled Senate Bill (SB) 1976 or House Bill 8522.
Duterte, in the letter, explained that the “present formulation” of the proposal to further strengthen the PCA “lacks vital safeguards to avoid the repetition of painful mistakes in the past.”
The President rejected the proposed measure, even though he acknowledged that its objective is “to adopt the necessary measures to immediately address the serious problems, besetting the country, protect the socio-economic well-being of coconut farmers, and ensure that the benefits due our coconut farmers are consolidated and their delivery expedited.”
“The powers given to the Philippine Coconut Authority under the proposed measure, read together with the proposed ‘Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act,’ undermine relevant regulations and safeguards that were established precisely to avoid abuses,” he said.
“I am certain that neither Congress nor the Executive can bear to see our coconut farmers being exposed to injury by the very legislation that was intended for their benefit and protection, especially if such injury could have been prevented by the institution of necessary safeguards,” Duterte added.
While the enrolled measure was in the common legislative agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, Duterte said the provisions of the bill “do not reflect our ultimate goal of accelerating the full utilization of coco levy assets and funds for the benefit of our marginalized coconut farmers and the coconut industry.”
“In view of these considerations, I am constrained to veto the above mentioned enrolled bill,” the President said.
SB 1976 or the proposed Strengthened Philippine Coconut Authority Act introduces amendments to the Presidential Decree 1468 or the Revised Coconut Industry Code of 1978.
The bill requires the reconstituted PCA board to have six farmer representatives, four from the government, and one from the industry, in a bid to grant coconut farmers greater representation in the board.
The six farmer representatives will come from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
On the government’s side, the secretaries of Agriculture and Finance will serve as chairperson and vice chairperson, respectively. The Budget Secretary and PCA administrator will act as members.
The industry representative, on the other hand, will come from key players in the coconut industry. (SunStar Philippines)