CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Coconut farmers have criticized the appointment of former Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza as a Supreme Court associate justice, noting that he used to be a lawyer of businessman Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco.
The movement Coco Levy Fund Ibalik sa Amin (Claim) said yesterday “the appointment of a Danding lawyer in the Supreme Court is an insult to small coconut farmers who are still fighting for the recovery of the 20 percent coco levy fund shares in San Miguel Corp. (SMC).”
“Records show that in 1996, Jardeleza became the senior vice president and counsel of San Miguel Corp. He held the position up to June 30, 2010, leaving it for early retirement,” said a statement issued jointly by Claim and the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).
“Jardeleza’s appointment further exposes Aquino’s anti-peasant and pro-kamag-anak, kaklase, kabarilan rule,” Claim spokesperson Nestor Villanueva said. Villanueva, a small coconut farmer from Laguna, said that “with the blessings of Aquino, Danding now has an insider in the SC that will take care of the Cojuangco family’s political and economic interests.”
“We fear that Jardeleza’s appointment will strengthen Danding’s plunder and illegitimate claim over the still contested 20 percent coco levy fund shares in SMC,” Villanueva added. For his part, KMP Chair Rafael Mariano challenged Jardeleza to inhibit himself not only from the coco levy fund cases but from all Cojuangco cases including Hacienda Luisita.
“There are still pending issues on the Hacienda Luisita case that the high court needs to resolve. Jardeleza should have the delicadeza to inhibit from Cojuangco cases,” Mariano said.
