MANILA, Philippines -- The government on Friday hailed the US Supreme Court dismissal of a case involving a disputed $35-million account once owned by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, with Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera saying the decision is expected to impact favorably on other such litigation abroad.
Devanadera said she is optimistic that the decision "will favorably affect all other litigation abroad."
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye also welcomed the ruling. "Of course we welcome this as it sets a precedent for other litigations abroad involving the Philippines," he said.
The Presidential Commission on Good Government, the agency tasked with recovering the alleged ill-gotten wealth amassed by the late dictator’s family, called the US ruling “a major victory” for the Philippine government.
“This victory is not just a victory of the PCGG but of the entire Filipino people as the recovery of the $35 million would be used as additional funding for anti-poverty programs of the government and economic development,” it said. “This accomplishment would all the more serve to drive the commission to pursue vigorously the recovery of more ill-gotten assets and the resolution of cases both local and foreign.”
The American tribunal overturned a ruling by a California appeals court that sided with the victims, whose lawyers argued they should get the $35 million as part of a $2-billion judgment in US courts against the Marcos estate for human rights abuses under the 14-year dictatorship.
The government had argued that the dispute over the money must be settled in Philippine courts.
Devanadera noted that the government's position was backed by the US Department of Justice.
The solicitor general said she is on her way to Switzerland to follow up on similar pending cases.
The case in the US stemmed from Marcos's transfer of $2 million in 1972 to Arelma S.A., a Panamanian shell corporation that invested the money with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., in New York.
By 2000, the money had grown to $35 million.
