In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that the 753,848,312 shares in San Miguel Corp. that were bought with coconut levy funds be used by government to help 3.5 million underprivileged farmers and their families. The shares were worth P84.3 billion that had earned quarterly dividends over the last two years at P8.8 billion.

The High Court ruling written by Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, Jr. ordered the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to put the entire cash component—P5.2 billion worth of SMC shares and P1.4 billion deposited at the United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) or a total of P7.6 billion—in a special account at either the UCPB, the Development Bank of the Philippines or Land Bank of the Philippines.

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