Gov’t won’t abandon ill-gotten wealth cases vs Marcoses—Bautista

This photo taken on December 3, 2012 shows Andres Bautista, head of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, tasked with recovering embezzled wealth from the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, pointing to a portrait of the late president displayed at the commission’s office in Manila. AFP/TED ALJIBE

MANILA, Philippines–Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Chairman Andres Bautista said the government will not abandon the ill-gotten wealth cases against the heirs and cronies of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos even in the event of the PCGG’s abolition.

In a news conference at the PCGG headquarters Wednesday, Bautista said their proposal to Malacañang was to transfer the prosecution of Marcos ill-gotten wealth cases to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and to transfer the sequestered assets to the Department of Finance (DOF).

“Our recommendation was to wind down work, to turn over cases to the DOJ and the sequestered assets to the Privatization Management Office,” Bautista said.

“But in no way have I said we’re ending the hunt for the Marcos ill-gotten wealth. I didn’t say that. I believe that should continue because a substantial portion (of the ill-gotten wealth) remains unrecovered,” he stressed.

About 200 ill-gotten wealth cases against the Marcoses and their cronies are still pending in the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan 26 years since the PCGG was created.

Since 1986, the PCGG has recovered P165 billion in ill-gotten wealth.

Bautista admitted they have no idea how much remains unrecovered of the wealth illegally amassed by the Marcos family and their cronies during the 20-year dictatorship.