Palace: No deal with Marcoses on wealth, only a draft proposal
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (Photo by JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Malacañan Palace has received only a draft proposal of a compromise deal on the wealth of the Marcos family, but the Duterte administration has not made a deal, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
“There is no truth to the allegation that the government has reached a compromise agreement with the family of the late President Ferdinand Marcos,” Roque said in a statement issued on New Year’s Day.
“Attorney Oliver Lozano may have written to Malacañang proposing the creation of a legal team that would study a compromise agreement with the Marcos family,” Roque added. “The proposal, however, has not been acted and agreed upon by the Palace.”
Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said his office had received the proposal from lawyer Oliver Lozano, a Marcos loyalist, proposing to the government a cut of the family’s wealth in exchange for dropping all cases against the late dictator’s kin.
“The document was sent to the office by Attorney Oliver Lozano,” Panelo said in a statement. “Our office as a matter of courtesy and policy acknowledges receipt of any letter coming from any citizen. No action has been taken on Attorney Lozano’s proposal.”
Lozano reportedly claimed that the supposed proposal had been forwarded to the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).
The proposal includes a supposed House bill granting immunity to the Marcos family and allowing a compromise on their sequestered assets.
“The Executive, as we all know, recognizes the separation of powers and independence of Congress,” Roque said. “We leave the matter to the House of Representatives to discuss and deliberate.”
In August 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte said the Marcos family, through a spokesperson, had offered to return a part of their wealth that had been discovered by the government.
“Sabi nila [They said], they’ll open everything, and properly return ‘yung nakita lang [what is found],” Duterte said in a speech in Malacañang.
“Sabi nila na, malaki ang deficit mo, maybe the [sic] projected spending pero hindi ito malaki. Baka makatulong. But we are ready to open and bring back, sabi niya, pati yung a few gold bars,” Duterte said.
[They said: Your deficit is high, maybe the projected spending. But this is not big, Maybe it will help. But we are ready to open and bring back, they said, even a few gold bars.]
“Just a few, pero isauli nila… And the only reason, sabi nila, their father was protecting the economy for the eventual, kung maalis siya,” he added. “But he thought of regaining Malacañang. And that is why ganito ang lumabas –parang naitago.”
[Just a few, but they will return them. And the only reason, they said, was that their father was protecting the economy for his eventual removal from office. But he though he would regain Malacañang. And that is why what came out was it seems he had kept the wealth.] /atm
