Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Malacanang on Thursday said it is determined to pursue cases in the recovery of the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth.
“Determinadong pinupursigi ito ng pamahalaan, sa pamamagitan ng PCGG, na mabawi ang nakaw na yaman. Bahagi ng nabawi ay gagamitin sa pagbayad sa mahigit sa 76,000 nagpetisyon para bigyan ng kompensasyon ng Human Rights Violations Claims Board,” Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said in a statement on Thursday.
(The government through the PCGG [Presidential Commission on Good Government] is persistent in the recovery of the [Marcoses] ill-gotten wealth, a part of which will be paid as compensation for the 76,000 petitioners at the Human Rights Violations Claims Board.)
Coloma added thirty years after the Edsa People Power Revolution, the government continues to fight for the victims of human-rights abuses during the Marcos dictatorship. More so, it also questions the personal wealth of Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos, Ilocos Gov. Imee Marcos and vice-presidential candidate, Sen. Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos.
Malacanang also reacted on Senator Marcos’ claims that these legal inquiries on his family members’ personal wealth aren’t included in the cases to recover the alleged ill-gotten wealth. Coloma said Senator Marcos’s denial is clear proof in avoiding reality and refusing to accept the [historical] truth.
“Kailangang harapin niya at huwag iwasan ang reyalidad hinggil sa pananagutan ng kanilang pamilya sa sambayanang Pilipino,” Coloma said.
(He should accept and not avoid reality regarding their family’s liability against the Filipino people.)
The PCGG, in another statement, said court records will prove that Senator Marcos remains the signatory in the pleadings they filed with regards the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth.
PCGG also cited the separate petitions in the Supreme Court filed by Senator Marcos and his mother Imelda on the forfeiture case at the Sandiganbayan of the Arelma Fund that amounted to $42M and the Malacanang Jewelry Collection’s auction by the former First Lady.
“It would be untrue to claim that his family has stop participating in said court cases. In fact, the Marcos family has been active in appealing to the SC various decisions which were ruled against them” said the PCGG.