LUCENA CITY—The House of Representatives’ focus on drug-related hearings has relegated discussions of social reform issues, such as the return of assets acquired through the multibillion-peso coconut levy fund, to the sidelines, a leader of a farmers’ group said. “Congress is on fire in the case of Sen. Leila de Lima, yet it is ice cold in the coconut levy recovery for the benefit of coconut farmers,” Danny Carranza, secretary general of Kilusan para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan, said on Monday. Carranza appealed to Mr. Duterte to exert effort to mobilize his allies in Congress to pass the measure that would benefit coconut farmers across the country. Farmers in Quezon, a major coconut-producing province, are believed to be the biggest contributors to the coco levy fund exacted during the administration of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. The Supreme Court has ruled the levy as public fund and should be used by the government for the benefit of coconut farmers and to develop the coconut industry.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer October 11, 2016 18:11 UTC