Marc Jayson Cayabyab AND Gian C. Geronimo write an article for GMA News about a long-standing case of cronyism occurring in the Phillippines, a tax on coconut farmers that was ostensibly to help grow the industry. Instead, the article claims the majority of the taxes actually went to a politically connected crony:
The coco levy originated in the 1970s when President Ferdinand Marcos and people around him decided to tax coconut farmers, promising them the money will be used to develop the coconut industry and they would have a share in the investments.
Farmers and their supporters pointed to Eduardo Cojuangco, chairman of conglomerate San Miguel Corporation (SMC), as the main beneficiary of the funds.