Presidential Commission on Good Government winding up work

HONOLULU—The Presidential Commission on Good Government is already winding up its task to recover the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses, President Benigno Aquino III told reporters here over the weekend.

Mr. Aquino indicated the PCGG would turn over the pending cases and other tasks to other government agencies.

The PCGG was created in 1986 by President Aquino’s late mother, then President Corazon Aquino, through Executive Order No.1.

“The PCGG is winding up its operations,” President Aquino told reporters during an informal chat.

“They’re going to transfer to various agencies (the pending cases and other duties),” he added.

At the start of the year, PCGG chair Andres Bautista wrote President Aquino on the proposed winding down of PCGG’s functions since it has already fulfilled its primary mandate of recovering Marcos’ ill-gotten wealth.

But Justice Secretary Leila De Lima expressed the position then that a law needed to be passed to abolish the commission.

Mr. Aquino made the remarks when he was asked what the government intended to do with those reportedly based in Hawaii who have knowledge about the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses.

“They want to talk, we’ll look for evidence that can be the basis for extradition,” the President said.

Mr. Aquino said much had been written about the Marcos wealth but there were still reports of those that have yet to be identified and located.

He said some thought that even the Marcos family was not fully aware of the entire matter.

“We need the proper evidence and what gives us some comfort is that the Constitution recognizes that there is no prescription period where it involves the recovery of the ill-gotten wealth,” he added.