MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo has refuted the President’s remark that alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family has not been proven to this day.
“Hindi totoo na walang proof, kasi marami nang kasong nadesisyunan. Alam natin iyon. Marami nang kasong nadesisyunan, hindi lang dito sa Pilipinas, pero pati mga courts sa Switzerland at saka sa US, na mayroon nang judgment (It’s not true that there’s no proof. There have been many cases decided by the court, not just here in the Philippines but in Switzerland and the US),” Robredo told DYMD 93.7 Energy FM in Dumaguete City on Thursday.
On Wednesday, President Rodrigo Duterte said the alleged ill-gotten wealth amassed by the Marcoses during the 20-year reign of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos has not been proven.
“Until now, you have not proven anything except to sequester and sell. Hindi mo nga sigurado kung talagang kay Marcos ba ‘yan (You are not even sure if it really belongs to the Marcoses)?” Duterte said in his speech.
READ: Duterte: Still no proof linking Marcoses to ill-gotten wealth
But Robredo said there are decisions handed by the local courts and even the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.
The Vice President cited that the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013 (Republic Act 10368) state that the “reparation for the victims of Martial Law will come from some P10 billion that the Marcoses hid in Swiss banks—funds which were ordered to be transferred back to the Philippines.”
Robredo said some of the victims of human rights abuses also received funds for their repatriation.
“’Di ba pinapabayad niya sila, pinapabalik iyong perang ninakaw? In fact, mayroon nang mga victims ng Martial Law na nakatanggap na ng bayad. So hindi ko alam kung saan nanggagaling iyong statement na iyon, kasi ano naman, official records iyong mga desisyon ng mga korte, na sinasabi na talagang may kasalanan, kaya nga pinapabalik iyong pera,” Robredo said.
(They were asked to return the money. In fact, there are already Martial Law victims who were able to receive compensation. So I don’t know where that statement is coming from. The court decisions are official records so they are being asked to return the money.)
The Marcos family has allegedly amassed ill-gotten wealth worth from $5 billion to $10 billion through dummies and cronies.
The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), launched in 1986 primarily to recover the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses, has reported that it had retrieved P170.45 billion from 1986 to December 2015. /ee