Gov’t studying compromise deal with Marcoses

Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

The government is studying the possibility of entering into a compromise agreement with the Marcos family, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said on Wednesday.

“The President is authorized and has the power to make compromise or any agreement with the Marcoses. If there will be a new agreement, there should be an enabling law or initiative law to be issued by the President himself,” Aguirre told reporters.

But Aguirre said the possibility of a compromise agreement would need further study. The Justice Chief’s department supervises the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which was created in the late ’80s to sequester the ill-gotten wealth of the late dictator and his cronies.

“This should be carefully studied – do we need a new EO or could we do it in with just the present power of the President. We will study it first,” he said.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte said the Marcos family has offered to give the government part of its wealth including gold bars to help the country’s finances.

Aguirre said the offer of the Marcoses could have legal repercussions in the cases against them.

“That (return of Marcos wealth) could be done under the framework of the law. There could be repercussions of cases being handled by the PCGG,” he explained.

He added that the offer of the family is still preliminary as details still need to be ironed out.

Aguirre added that they also need to take into consideration the plan of the President to form a new a body to replace PCGG.

“Although we support the President in the formation of that body, he can consider the option of giving new powers to the PCGG by appointing additional two commissioners to strengthen its jurisdiction,” he said.

Aguirre said the decision to abolish the PCGG and create a new body would be for President Duterte to make.

He added that should the President decided to abolish PCGG, it would take another two years to completely wind up its operations as the commission is still holding more than P200 billion in sequestered money and several assets.