President-elect Rodrigo Duterte meets with Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., during the latter’s courtesy call on the incoming President at Davao City on June 11, 2016. (Photo courtesy of the Davao City Mayor’s office)
Amid protests over the “sneaky” burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday that he would expand the scope and power of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which had so far focused on recovering the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses and their cronies.
In a news conference, Duterte was asked if he made any directive to the PCGG to further pursue the recovery of the loot of the Marcoses and their cronies.
“No. I will expand it. What I say is that the PCGG is limited to the Marcos wealth,” he said shortly after arriving from his trips to Peru and New Zealand at the Davao City International Airport. “But I want it broader and with more power.”
Activist and former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo had urged Duterte to push the PCGG to continue recovering Marcos ill-gotten wealth, noting that the chief executive has good relationship with the Marcos family.
READ: Duterte urged: Pursue Marcos’ ill-gotten wealth
“It is important that he retrieve the money so that it can be used for the implementation of the projects for poor citizens and for the development of the economy,” Ocampo said.
He said that the opposition to PCGG cases by former First Lady Imelda Marcos and former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. clearly indicated their involvement.
In April, the younger Marcos blocked the transfer of $40 million to the government, which will be used to compensate martial law victims.
Since it was created in 1986, the PCGG has recovered a total of P170.4 billion worth of assets.
READ: PCGG: Bongbong blocked return of $40M to gov’t
Marcos was interned at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in a “stealthy” manner on Nov. 18.
Protests erupted across the nation shortly after Marcos’ burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Various groups are staging a bigger protest on November 25.