If you’ve followed the news, Pres. Duterte recently announced that the Marcos family offered to return part of their wealth to the government.
The Marcos wealth has been pursued by the PCGG since the former strongman was ousted from power via the ‘People Power’ revolution in 1986.
According to the PCGG, they have recovered a whopping P170B from 1986 to 2015 and remitted P14B to the national coffers.
Lately, the Marcos wealth has been a hotly discussed on social media especially its origin.
Jose Alejandrino, a former government consultant during the time of President Ramos, shares an eye-opening popping account of the origin of Marcos wealth on Facebook.
MARCOS WEALTH
By Jose Alejandro
According to the PCGG, it recovered nearly 170.5-billion pesos, or the equivalent of 3.6-billion US dollars, from 1986 to Dec. 2015. It claims to have remitted 14-billion pesos or nearly 300-million dollars to the National Treasury. Still left to recover, PCGG said, are 32-billion pesos or 673-million dollars in 19 civil cases pending before the Sandiganbayan as of Dec. 2015.
May the people know why only 14-billion pesos out of the 170.5-billion PCGG claims it recovered were remitted as of end 2015? How much more, if any, were remitted to the Treasury after 2015? If none, why?
My second question is of the Imelda jewellery collection that was recovered, were the jewellery worn by Cory’s daughters, as shown by some photos, that allegedly belonged to Imelda also recovered? If those jewellery were taken from Imelda don’t they belong to the Filipino people? Can the people be given an inventory of Imelda’s jewels sequestered by PCGG?
President Duterte announced that an emissary from Bongbong offered to return some gold bars to the government. Imee has been quoted, if quoted correctly, that the family would have to discuss the matter. Imelda is holding gold certificates which she proudly shows to invited guests. Are these the certificates to the 7,000-tons of gold Americans claim are being held by dummy companies abroad? I know Marcos discovered at three sites part of the Yamashita gold treasure which he showed to the Americans that filled one big room. The CIA has the pictures. It is normal the Marcoses keep part of the treasure. Finders, keepers. Now if the Marcoses offer to return, say one-half of that gold treasure, it would certainly be a nice gesture which I’m sure Filipinos would appreciate. But the Golden Buddha which that poor man in Baguio found should also be returned to him.
Doy Laurel who was called to Marcos’ dying bed in Honolulu had said Fred was willing to return part of his wealth to the Filipino people provided Cory allowed him to die in the Philippines. When Doy returned, he asked for an appointment to see Cory to transmit the offer of a dying man, but Cory was not interested. I myself believe Fred was sincere. After all, he could not bring his gold with him to the next world. So long as his family kept part of the Yamashita treasure and he was allowed to die in his country, Fred was satisfied. Cory was wrong not to be interested in the proposition. What she did was not in the national interest.
Now if the Marcos children are willing to pursue their father’s offer, I think President Duterte should accept it. How much are 3,000 or so tons of gold worth on the world market today? I’m sure much more than what Fred was accused of stealing.
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