Compromise deal on Marcos wealth pushed to Palace back burner?

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

The proposed compromise deal submitted by Marcos loyalist and lawyer Oliver Lozano to Malacañang is not yet a concern among Cabinet officials, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said.

In a press conference on Thursday, Aguirre said they have not received any order from President Rodrigo Duterte to review the proposal put forward by the Marcos loyalist.

“That has not been tackled in the Cabinet. I could not say anything about it because I have never seen it yet,” Aguirre said.

“We received no instructions from any higher ups. In other words, we are completely ignorant about it,” the Justice secretary explained.
READ: Roque makes clear: Duterte needs law to accept compromise deal with Marcoses

Aguirre, however, said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would later study the purported compromise deal should they be tasked to do so.

“If it reaches us, it is just our obligation to read anything that was filed before us or sent before us. But there is no special effort to get it or read it, or to have anything or comment about it,” he said.

Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo on Monday said his office received Lozano’s proposal offering the government a cut of the family’s wealth in exchange for dropping all cases against the late dictator’s kin.

But the Marcoses have already distanced themselves from Lozano, saying that he was not authorized nor does he represent the family, according to their spokesman Atty. Victor Rodriguez.

“The family will be meeting soon, designate someone to talk to Atty. Lozano and dissuade him from doing what he has been doing without authority from anyone of the Marcoses,” Rodriguez told INQUIRER.net in a text message. /jpv

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