Sans deal with PCGG, Lucio Tan’s brod won’t testify against him

THE PRESIDENTIAL Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) have lost a “star witness” in the ill-gotten wealth case against taipan Lucio Tan.

In a statement, the PCGG announced it would no longer present Mariano Tanenglian as a witness against his estranged brother Tan in Civil Case No. 0005 before the Sandiganbayan.

The PCGG, tasked to recover the ill-gotten wealth of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, his family and associates, made the decision after consulting with the OSG over the weekend. PCGG officials and Tanenglian’s camp failed to agree on several contentious issues with regard to the would-be witness’ request for immunity.

The PCGG believes that majority of Tan’s companies estimated to have a value of P36 billion is owned by the Marcos family.

PCGG officials had earlier acceded to the request of Tanenglian for civil and criminal immunity for himself, his family and his properties in exchange for his testimony against his brother, but with some conditions.

“From December 2010 to May 2011, PCGG and OSG representatives regularly met with Tanenglian and his lawyers and discussed the proposed testimony and the terms and conditions of the immunity agreement,” the statement said. “But despite earnest efforts of PCGG and OSG representatives, no final agreement was reached regarding the conditions for the immunity requested by Mr. Tanenglian.”