Palace calls for enforcement of Sandiganbayan ruling in coco levy case

Malacañang on Thursday called for the implementation of the court ruling that settled the ownership row over P74 billion worth of coco levy funds.

"The President is for the rule of law. If there’s a writ of execution, then enforce it," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Roque gave the reaction after the Sandiganbayan issued a writ of partial execution to implement the Supreme Court's final ruling in 2014 that the coco levy funds belong to the government and must be used for programs to benefit Filipino coconut farmers.

In his third State of the Nation Address on July 23, Duterte urged Congress to pass a law creating a trust fund for coconut farmers.

The bicameral conference committee approved last week a bill creating a P100-billion coco levy trust fund to be used for 25 years for the benefit of 3.5 million coconut farmers.

The bill states that the fund be invested in Treasury bills and handled by the Philippine Coconut Authority.

Coco levy was imposed on coconut farmers from 1973 to 1982. However, the farmers reportedly did not benefit from their contribution because it was used to prop up the businesses of allies of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos.

SC rulings indicate that the funds were used to buy shares of stock in the United Coconut Planters Bank and diversifying conglomerate San Miguel Corporation.

A separate decision in 2011, however, said businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr.'s 20-percent equity in SMC was legally acquired, denying the government’s claim that it was also acquired through coco levy funds. — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News