PCGG targets P100-B wealth collection by 2020

MANILA, Philippines - Amid talks of its abolition, the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) is expecting to recover about P100 billion in ill-gotten wealth over the next three years.

Responding to questions about its significance and efficiency, the PCGG said it has recovered over P73 billion worth of assets of the Marcoses and their cronies in the past five years.

“In 2017, we are committed to remit P400 million more to the Treasury versus our average annual budget of P110 million. This is now in process,” the PCGG said in a position paper on the proposal for its abolition.

“In the next three years, assets of the Marcoses and their allies worth P100 billion – which are still under litigation – will be recovered,” it said.

The PCGG has yet to release a breakdown of its projected recovery, but said it is confident it would recover $42 million (around P2.1 billion) from the Arelma funds previously declared ill-gotten by the Supreme Court.

The agency said it expects a reversal of some significant cases previously handled by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), including those against Lucio Tan, Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., Armando Romualdez, Chavit Singson and 14 other cases in the next three years.

“Once the PCGG is abolished, the momentum of recovery, if not the recovery itself, is lost. Then we say goodbye to recovery. Indeed crime pays its ways,” said the commission.

The administration last week revived talks about abolishing the agency tasked to run after the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses, with Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno claiming the PCGG “doesn’t do anything.”

“PCGG is surprised at the recent questions regarding its performance, relevance and efficiency,” said the agency, noting that it was awarded thrice as the best performing agency under the Department of Justice (DOJ).

An infographic released by the commission showed that it recovered P57.1 billion in 2012, P631 million in 2013, P1.57 billion in 2014, P14.01 billion in 2015 and P481.95 million in 2016.

In comparison, the annual budget of the agency was P93 million in 2012, P102 million in 2013, P106 million in 2014, P101 million in 2015 and P104 million in 2016.

“Why is there a question on its budget and relevance when PCGG’s cost to recovery ratio is exemplary as shown by these numbers?” said the PCGG.

A pending legislation also proposes the merging of the responsibilities of the PCGG with that of the OSG, a move opposed both by the PCGG and the DOJ.