In hindsight, has the PCGG served the purpose for which it was established?

Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City: For a while, yes, but of late, not anymore. PCGG has outlived its purpose. Time to put PCGG into the dustbins of history.

Alexander Raquepo, Ilocos Sur: To be fair, the PCGG must publish what it has done vis-à-vis its mandate and objectives. However, ordinary citizens like me could hardly feel its presence and importance.

Time to abolish it

Miguelito Herrera, Cabanatuan City: No, it’s been an uphill battle for the PCGG to recover the so-called ill gotten wealth of the Marcoses even with media’s vigilance. I believe it’s time to abolish it.

Joe Nacilla, Las Piñas City: The PCGG was created to recover the wealth of former President Marcos and his cronies. Almost 25 years have passed but only the jewelry, few properties and cash deposits have been recovered, and we don’t know where these are now. The Commission must not last forever, hoping that there is more to recover. Twenty-five years is enough. Abolishing it would mean big government savings - more than what we ever hope to recover.

Leonard Villa, Batac City: No, the PCGG is a big joke. Instead of helping establish a “good government”, PCGG commissioners are the ones accused of being corrupt and extravagant. Abolish it.

Jimmy Donton, Puerto Princesa City: The PCGG is inutile in its mission of recovering the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses in favor of the Philippine government. It should be abolished by the newly- established government. Let the DOJ file cases in court.

Johann Lucas, Quezon City: No, the PCGG has become a big embarrassment to the government for its dismal failure to recover the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses. It would be better to abolish the agency.

Maricel Maralit, Naga City: No, the PCGG is a big disappointment. It should have been abolished a long time ago. How much ill-gotten wealth has it really recovered?

Armando Tavera, Las Piñas City: So far, the PCGG has accomplished nothing. Natapos lang ang mga termino ng apat na Presidente but it yielded no positive results. Time for its abolition.

This much we can say

Cris Rivera, Rizal: PCGG has disclosed and established that the late strongman, Pres. FM and his cohorts of big-time personalities, did amass enormous wealth fraudulently.

What does the PCGG have to show?

Dennis Montealto, Mandaluyong City: Twenty-four years after it was created, what can the PCGG show aside from Imelda’s jewels for us to say that it indeed ran after the Marcos loot and recovered most of it to add to our nation’s coffers?

Elizabeth Oximer, Negros Occidental: Please publish their accomplishments if any, and the cost of operating the PCGG.

Rudy Tagimacruz, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon: The PCGG was created to recover stolen assets of the government but we have yet to hear positive results.

Felix Ramento, USA: No. It was basically meant to recover the Marcos loot, so it should have been peopled by sleuths who are experts in unearthing hidden booties and other proofs of wrongdoing of the unlamented dictator and his associates. Not a single soul has since been pinned down.

Concepcion Gaspar, Laoag City: Since the PCGG was created, I know nothing about any significant accomplishment that could justify its existence. What is disgusting and irritating is the aborted midnight sale of Imelda’s jewels. I wish it never existed or that a new body could be formed instead of it being inutile.

Failed mission

Ruben Viray, Antipolo City: Perhaps the PCGG should exert more effort in recovering the full extent of what the Marcoses may have corrupted to make it worthy of the mission for which it was established.

Jim Veneracion, Naga City: The PCGG should have been abolished a long time ago for it has miserably failed in its mission. It has become a dumping ground for political protégées.

Edwin Chinel Monares, Rizal: Yes it has made good employment and “financial” benefits for those who where appointed to the Commission and it has provided the needed funds away from the reach of the Commission on Audit. As to its mandate, it’s an utter failure.

Ishmael Q. Calata, Parañaque City: If all the words written by some reputable columnists and heard from brave broadcasters and also rumored in conversations were true about the behavior of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, then the initials of the commission as pronounced in Tagalog - Pa Ka Ga Ga - is not funny at all. In the many years that the Commission has been in existence, what has it achieved? Is there any truth to reports that some PCGG people found themselves under the payroll of the companies that it was supposed to investigate? Why has it taken this long to do its job and seemingly any action taken so far is not moving anymore? Has its Charter been amended to make its existence go into perpetuity? It’s clear that it has failed.

Louella Brown, Baguio City: The Presidential Commission on Good Government has not served satisfactorily the purpose for which it was established. It should have been more aggressive and true to its mandate.

Robert Young Jr., San Juan: The PCGG was created to recover money stolen by the Marcoses and his cronies. It has lofty objectives but most of the PCGG personnel were tempted by opportunities of making a quick buck. An attaché case full of important documents mysteriously got lost in New Year. After two decades, it has yet to win a case against the Marcoses in order to send them to jail. Voluminous documents against the accused have gotten lost. Over the years, new PCGG personnel have been assigned to handle the cases but they only manage to lose in court. For some unknown reasons, PCGG even refused to use the testimony of the brother of Marcos’ biggest crony where hundreds of billions could be recovered. Wealth was recovered when PCGG was first put up but cronies of Marcos voluntarily surrendered most of them. PCGG recovered a hundred millions but the expense it took to recover them was significantly big. The Commission has miserably failed its mission.

They were not able to convict Marcos

Loi Castillo, Davao City: Nope, they were not able to convict the Marcoses. Unfortunately, another Aquino is now forming the Truth Commission, this time to prosecute alleged corruption made during the time of former President Arroyo.

It become a source of corruption

Dr. Jose Balcanao, Benguet: The PCGG did not serve the purpose for which it was established because the properties it sequestered from the Marcoses were never made transparent to the public. Graft and corruption here in the agency was recycled. The public does not know who the real thieves are.

Rose Leobrera, Manila: It has not been good. In fact, it became a source of corruption of all sorts. Wala man tayong nabalitaan na may nagawa sila. Sayang lang ang pasweldo.

Manuel Abejero, Pangasinan: Oo naman. Ang dahilan ng pagkakatatag ng PCGG ay habulin at bawiin ang mga kinulimbat ng mga mandurugas. Nahabol, nabawi, naibulsa, kinulimbat uli.

Rey Onate, Palayan City: No, because all it achieved are commissions and no good government. Duh.

The better alternative

Arnie Domingo, Quezon City: The PCGG should be abolished in favor of either having the government pursue the corruption cases in the courts or exploring the possibility of negotiating settlements with those accused of amassing ill-gotten wealth. What matters most is that the government chooses the course of action that is consistent with public interest.

Milking cow

Joel Caluag, Bulacan: The PCGG should have been abolished a long time ago. It is useless and most of all, it became the milking cow of officials sitting in it.

L.C. Fiel, Quezon City: The PCGG was established in good faith and with purely honest intentions, but after more than 20 years of existence, it has not only become the milking cow of its corrupt officials but it has also outlived its usefulness. Naging panggulo at pabigat na ang mga opisyales nito.

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan: Yes and no. Yes as it earlier caused the recovery and surrender of some properties held by cronies and dummies of Marcos, but no because they failed miserably in recovering the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses themselves. We can bear the slow-paced prosecution of the case due to the rule of law, but seeing the PCGG retrogress into the proverbial “milking cow” of Commissioners and their cohorts, it should be abolished now and instead be included in the probes under the Truth Commission.

Elmo Cruz, Manila: The PCGG is already 24 years old but it has not fully lived up to the purpose for its creation. Its work is not done until now. The commission turned out into some extent as the milking cow of some commissioners. Better abolish and it let other existing government agencies that are into investigation finish the job.

Deo Durante, Camarines Sur: Partly, I could say yes. It has served the good intention for which it was established. However, the people behind it are now the center of critics as to how they have made the PCGG a “milking cow”, profiting from deals or incurring lavish expenditures of money that should have gone into the government coffers.

Lolong Rejano, Marinduque: No, it is public knowledge that the PCGG did not achieve the real purpose for its creation. The properties confiscated from the dictator were cannibalized and became a milking cow of cohorts in government. Cases filed against the Marcoses were maneuvered and dumped like garbage. We can only presume that those people involved are scot-free and enjoying their share of the bounty.

Rey Ibalan, Antipolo City: Obviously not. The PCGG did not serve its purpose. It is being made a milking cow.

Ella Arenas, Pangasinan: No, appointed officials made the PCGG their milking cow, going abroad with their family many times in a year.

Ed Alawi, Davao City: A big fat zero for the government but most of the PCGG people enriched themselves and enjoyed, together with their family, a lot of perks.

The amount recovered can’t pay for the expenses

Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: The miniscule amount they claimed to have recovered is not even enough to cover their expenses and perks. The office is allotted for political payback.

Desuel Pardo, Mandaluyong City: What have the PCGG done so far? Have they identified and found ill-gotten treasures and wealth taken out by the dictator and his cronies? If so, have they recovered them and turned them in to the Philippine treasury? For that long period of time, the PCGG should have already accomplished its mission. Tolerating its existence will be more expensive than the amounts recovered.

Renato Taylan, Ilocos Norte: Yes, but the problem is, the PCGG seems to have spent more trying recovering sequestered properties than what it has actually recovered.

Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: The miniscule amount they claimed to have recovered is not even enough to cover their expenses.

A waste of taxpayers’ money

Luisito Vallo, Pangasinan: No, it wasn’t able to fulfill the intended purpose for which it was created. Instead, the commissioners enriched themselves, what with the astronomical pay and allowances that they received. Creating the Commission has turned out to be a fiasco in itself and an utter waste of taxpayers’ money. I just hope that the Truth Commission won’t suffer the same fate.

Only Sen. Salonga stayed the course

Ernesto Oliquiano, Las Piñas City: Not completely. During the term of Pres. Cory Aquino, with former Senator Salonga heading the PCGG, they were doing a good job. They were able to recover the hidden wealth of the Marcoses, including those of their cronies. But during the succeeding administrations, not much was accomplished by the Commission, except for their globetrotting at taxpayers’ expense.

Elpidio Que, Vigan: The PCGG was created with a noble object, that of recovering the billions in ill-gotten wealth said to have been amassed by the late Ilocano president and his cronies. It is, however, so sickening that this agency turned out to be inutile in the fulfillment its mandate after Sen. Salonga left its helm.

The NBI can take over

Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: Let the NBI carry on the job for practical reasons. The NBI is adept in investigation that includes path tracing. It also has lawyers that could follow the suit in court and have access to the Interpol. It is less expensive for the NBI to do the job as they are already established and have reliable people, equipment and facilities. The agents are receiving regular salaries, but rewarding the agents with credits or monies will not be so much compared to what is given to the PCGG. The Director must not be co-terminus with the appointing power, the President. It can also do the job of the proposed Truth Commission.

Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.

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