[1] The issue is still ongoing up to this day, with coconut farmers fighting for justice against the forced taxation, and a share of the Coco Levy Fund's investments.
[5][6] The Philippine coconut industry was responsible for 26% of the volume of the agricultural sector and was reportedly present in 68 of the 81 provinces of the country.
The major exports were crude and refined oil, copra meal, desiccated coconut, activated carbon, and oleo-chemicals.
[9] The legal beginnings of the levy can be found in Republic Act 1145 enacted on 17 June 1954 under President Ramon Magsaysay, which called for the creation of the Coconut Development Fund.
961 created the Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF), which was allegedly used by Danding Cojuango to purchase shares of San Miguel Corporation.
1468 revised the Coco Industry Code, supposedly giving crony oil mills control over the said funds.
Enrile, then Senate President, was chair of PCA and Unicom, which he used to get equities from Primex Coco, Pacific Royal, Clear Mineral, and other entities.
Most notable were the UCPB and the SMC, both of which were supposedly purchased directly through coco levy money by Imelda Marcos and Danding Cojuangco.
This majority stake at San Miguel has been further subdivided into three separate litigations, each of which reaching the Supreme Court in highly contentious proceedings.
[5] (Note: The 27% had been diluted to 24% due to the government's failure to subscribe to the increased authorized capital stock of San Miguel.)
On December 10, 2014, the Supreme Court reaffirmed its September 4, 2012, decision to award to farmers the coco levy fund.