KORONADAL CITY-Several farmers' groups in Mindanao have asked the national government to junk the petition of the religious sector and its allies for a moratorium on the propagation of the controversial Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn.

Edwin Paraluman, representative of the Agricultural and Fisheries Council of General Santos City and the Provincial Farmers Action Council in South Cotabato, urged President Arroyo and Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo last week to disregard calls by anti-Bt corn advocates to stop the commercialization of the transgenic crop.

"We cannot always be around to attend dialogues and counteract the anti-GMO [genetically modified organism] campaign because our farms need us. So please help us and make it possible for us to try Bt corn [by not ordering a moratorium on Bt corn]," Paraluman said.

The groups earlier issued a manifesto in support of President Arroyo's pro-biotechnology stance in line with the government's food security program.

Paraluman was joined by farmer leaders Felix Cordero and Rod Bioco in urging the Arroyo administration to trash the petition to stop the commercialization of Bt corn.

Cordero and Bioco represent the Nursery Farmers Irrigators Association, Matatag Farmers Irrigators Association, San Isidro Integrated Agro-Industrial Multipurpose Cooperative and the Philippine Maize Federation.

Paraluman, Cordero and Bioco also assailed in a joint statement the anti-Bt corn advocates holding a hunger strike at the central office of the Department of Agriculture in Quezon City for allegedly refusing to engage the farmers, the agriculture officials and scientist in a dialogue.

"We have come all the way from General Santos City to meaningfully talk with them and let them understand why we need Bt corn to improve our yields, but they did not listen [to us]," the three said. "They [hunger strikers] do not know our difficulties in controlling the Asiatic corn borer. The hunger strikers do not know a farmer's life. This technology can greatly improve our present yields because of the additional protection."

They claimed, that "our thousands-strong member-farmers strongly support the use of Bt corn considering that farmers abroad are already benefiting from the technology. Why should Filipino farmers be deprived of it?"

The public dialogue was scheduled late last month by Lorenzo to address the issues raised by the hunger strikers, who have maintained a steady diet of water and juice since April 22.

Paraluman claimed that the hunger strikers snubbed the dialogue since they did not give the government, including the members of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel, a chance to clarify the issues and concerns raised by the opposers.

The South Cotabato Movement Against Genetically Modified Organisms, however, said it not intimidated by the manifesto of support and the appeals made by Paraluman's group to the President.

"We will continue educating our farmers here about the unproven safe quality of Bt corn. The pro-Bt corn groups can do whatever they want, but we will not stop our campaign against the transgenic crop until we are convinced that Bt corn is safe to human health and the environment," said the anti-GMO movement chairman Eliezer Billanes.

Billanes's group, which is being backed by the local Catholic Church, has been doing the rounds in barangays to gather signatures aimed at pressing the President to issue a moratorium on the propagation of Bt corn.

His group has gathered last month about 5,000 signatures in line with the nationwide campaign to gather 100,000 signatures against the commercialization of the transgenic crop.

Sis. Susan Bolanio, Justice and Peace Desk coordinator for the Diocese of Marbel, expressed confidence that the anti-Bt corn advocates in the province can gather 100,000 signatures.

The agriculture department has approved the commercial release of Monsanto's Bt corn variety, YieldGard 818, in December last year.