HUNGER strikers protesting the commercial sale of Bt corn yesterday urged Agriculture Secretary Cito Lorenzo to stop fence-sitting and impose a moratorium on the sale of the genetically modified products.

Robert Versola, at 50 the oldest of the four remaining hunger strikers, said the threat of Bt corn contaminating local varieties grows the longer the moratorium is put off.

"While Secretary Lorenzo seems to be taking our arguments more seriously now, we are disappointed that he continues to be non-committal about our petition," Versola said in a statement.

"The longer he postpones the moratorium, the bigger the possibility that contamination will become more widespread," he said.

Nine hunger strikers began a fast on April 22 to protest the sale of Bt corn. Five have collapsed and dropped out.

Versola said he was getting so weak he cannot stand too long or to walk too far, and experiences aches and pains in his body.

Still, he vowed not to break his fast until the government gives in to his demands.

"I simply cannot accept Monsanto's criminal contamination of our beautiful land with a poison that multiplies and spreads by itself while our government watches with smug approval, " he said.

Versola also called on likeminded people to join the campaign that he and the other hunger strikers have started.

"If we fall down, please continue what we started, until victory is finally ours," he said.