Sandigan affirms coco levy assets seizure

MANILA, Philippines — Junking all appeals seeking a reversal or modification of the anti-graft court’s Aug. 7, 2018 ruling, the Sandiganbayan has affirmed its decision awarding P83 billion in coco levy assets to the state.

The anti-graft court’s Second Division said its order for the issuance of a writ of partial execution will pave the way for the transfer of the P83-billion Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF) to the government for the benefit of coconut farmers.

In a decision dated Dec. 3, 2018, the Sandiganbayan denied the motions for reconsideration filed by United Coconut Planters Life Assurance Corp. (Cocolife) and other firms for lack of merit.

Magistrates said the affected firms only repeated or rehashed their arguments that have already been discussed and considered by the anti-graft court.

“The Supreme Court (SC) has repeatedly held in a long line of cases that a motion for reconsideration should be denied when the same only rehashes issues previously put forward,” the latest ruling penned by Associate Justice Michael Frederick Musngi read.

“In this case, the parties presented the same arguments that have already been judiciously passed upon and properly considered by the court in its assailed resolution,” the decision added.

In its Aug. 7 resolution, the Second Division ordered the issuance of a writ of partial execution to implement its May 7, 2004 summary judgement, which was affirmed by the SC in a landmark decision on Jan. 24, 2012.

The high tribunal declared that the CIIF is a “public fund,” which means the firms created through it, including all their assets must be reconveyed to the government.