Sotto believes Marcos Jr. won't abuse coco levy as Lacson urges ‘benefit of the doubt’

Outgoing Senate President Vicente Sotto III was confident that the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. would not abuse the coco levy funds.

"I'm not worried at all as far as the coco levy is concenrned na aabusuhin ng administrasyon na to. Hindi. Baka matulungan pa," Sotto said in an interview Sunday night.

According to the Senate chief, all the policies concerning the coco levy funds were "in place."

Meanwhile, outgoing Senator Panfilo Lacson said the Marcos administration should be given the "benefit of the doubt" when it came to handling the funds for the coconut farmers.

"Ang attitude natin dito is to give the new administration the benefit of the doubt kasi dapat ang assumption natin is may regularity lagi lalo at papasok ang bagong administration. I don't think... magiging careless sila lalo na sa paghawak ng [pondo]. We're hoping na ganun ang mangyari," Lacson said.

The outgoing senator said Congress will play a major role in terms of the administrative work in the disbursement of the coco levy funds, particularly in identifying the beneficiaries.

Both senators were reacting to some concerns about Marcos heading the Department of Agriculture (DA) after outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte issued an executive order approving the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).

The executive order paves the way for the release of the P75-billion trust fund from coco levy assets sequestered by the government.

After the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was removed from power in 1986, local coconut farmers sought the assistance of the Presidential Commission on Good Government in filing court cases to recover their investment.

In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that at least P71-billion worth of coconut levy funds that had been used to purchase shares in San Miguel Corporation during the Marcos years belongws to the government and as such, should be used solely for the benefit of coconut farmers and for the development of the coconut industry. — DVM, GMA News