Enabling Law needed for coco fund release

Senator Francis Pangillinan. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

The P75-billion coco levy trust fund may not be released even if farmers groups withdraw their petition in the Supreme Court which resulted in a temporary restraining order (TRO) against disbursement, according to Sen. Francis Pangilinan.

Pangilinan, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said  the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that the disposition of the coco levy funds itself requires the enactment of a law for such purpose.

He said that in the absence of a Supreme Court order that would lift the TRO, Confed’s unilateral withdrawal of its petition will not automatically lift the order.

The senator was referring to the Confederation of Coconut Farmer’s Organizations of the Philippines (Confed), which has agreed to withdraw its petition.