The chairman of the technical working group that consolidated 16 coconut levy fund bills said the TWG has referred the consolidated bill to its mother committee, chaired by Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga.
“We have been coordinating with the Executive. They have their own version and the House has its own version. We are reconciling that and we are in close coordination. Hopefully, what ever happened previously won’t happen again,” Garin, chairman of the House committee on economic affairs, said. Enverga, one of the principal authors of the bill, earlier said his panel will pass an “acceptable” measure that aims to address the veto message of President Duterte and the concerns of all concerned stakeholders.
The President also opposed the broad powers given to the Philippine Coconut Authority , particularly its authority over the sale, disposition, or dissolution of coco levy assets. Cayetano’s bill seeks to declare the coconut levy assets a trust fund and provide for its management and utilization. It also seeks to authorize the Privatization and Management Office to dispose of coconut levy assets.