Rounding up the Marcosian looter

In the continuing crusade for Daang Matuwid, the best news this past week was not the slam dunk testimony of Ruby Tuason but the announcement of the PCGG that it had recovered an additional $29 million or P1.3 billion from the ill-gotten wealth of the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his family.

For those who may have forgotten, the Marcos regime, during its 20-year rule, is estimated to have plundered and stashed in secret bank accounts an estimated $5 to $10 billion or as high as P450 billion. And these values were during the martial law period in the 1970s. The present value of these amounts should be much higher. Some have projected the present value, after the past devaluations and inflations, to be as high as $50 billion or as high as P4.5 trillion.

The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) was created by President Corazon Aquino in 1986 to recover all the ill-gotten wealth of Marcos, his family and cronies. Unfortunately it has not always performed its duties with integrity. Its performance has been largely dependent on the calibre and integrity of the head. For example, former PCGG head Camilo Sabio has been charged with the misuse of funds.

The present PCGG head is Andres Bautista, former Dean of the FEU College of Law and co-head of the MBA-JD program of De La Salle University. He has proven to be one of the best, if not the best, PCGG heads. He has combined legal brilliance, unquestioned integrity and dogged perseverance. He is obviously one of the best appointees in the P-Noy administration and a symbol of the present government’s war against corruption.

Bautista’s announcement of another recovery from the Marcos loot was a combination of good and bittersweet news. The good news is that even after 28 years, the drive to recover the Marcos plunder is still going and reaping several successes. In fact, Dean Bautista said that the government was targeting to recover another $1 billion or P45 billion.

One of the more interesting cases the PCGG is pursuing is the recovery of more than 150 paintings of prominent masters and artists that went missing after the Marcoses fled the country. If the story is true that among these paintings are works by painters like Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso, then this art collection could become a major tourist attraction if displayed in a single museum.

 The Marcos multi-billion dollar plunder aggravated the economic downfall of the Philippines during the martial law years. The bitter news is that after 28 years the ill-gotten loot still has not been fully recovered.

In addition, after all these years and cases filed, no one has been found guilty or sent to jail for the plunder. Bautista declined to comment when asked whether he believed that Marcos widow Imelda and their children are still living off the hidden wealth.

Imelda Romualdez Marcos is now member of Congress. Daughter Imee is governor of Ilocos Norte province. Son Bongbong or “Bongets” is now a senator. He has been implicated as one of the six senators allegedly involved in the Napoles PDAF scandal. However, there is a rumor that he is planning to run for a national position in 2016.

The recovery of the $29 million Marcos loot was achieved partly because of the recognition by the Swiss and Singapore governments of the existence of this stolen wealth. In fact, the world recognizes that Marcos and his cronies plundered and stole several billion dollars. But how many people have been jailed for this terrible crime? None.

As I watched the unfolding events in the Napoles PDAF scam, I keep hoping that this will not turn out like the 28-year Marcos hunt, wherein everyone admits there was widespread corruption but no one ends up in jail.

Obama-PNoy Summit Meeting in April

Lately there have been public statements from US State officials and  an American admiral that the United States will defend the territorial sovereignty of the Philippines. But still there has been no definitive statement, from the highest American officials, that this commitment includes defending the disputed atolls and islets in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) from Chinese incursions or maritime invasions.

President Obama will be visiting four nations in East Asia — Japan, South Korea, Philippines and Malaysia. All these countries have had a tense relationship with China recently. However, it is Japan and the Philippines which have had near conflicts in trying to counter aggressive Chinese maritime actions over disputed territories.

The Philippines had to give way and physically, but not legally, surrender the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoals to vastly superior Chinese forces. But it should be remembered that it was the US that reportedly brokered an agreement for a mutual agreement for both Philippine and Chinese forces to simultaneously withdraw from the disputed shoals. The Philippines withdrew its forces but the Chinese stayed and reinforced its hold.

The extent and geographic coverage of the American commitment to help defend Philippine territory will  be one of the principal items in the forthcoming meeting between P-Noy and Obama.

In a recent New York Times interview, P-Noy has called for a stronger stance against Chinese aggression. In fact, when he said that the world should avoid a policy of appeasement towards aggressive and hostile moves by Chinese forces, observers noted that this could be a clear signal to the US that the Philippines will not agree to any further withdrawals even in the face of Chinese hostile action.

A second major item in the agenda is reportedly the finalization of a new Visiting Forces Agreement between the two countries. This agreement could allow the United States to construct permanent facilities, short of an actual base, in Philippine territory.

While there will obviously be a debate on the constitutionality of this new agreement, the more concrete discussion would be the “quid pro quo” for these facilities or semi-base. In exchange, will Obama or State Secretary Kerry be willing to make a public statement that the United States will consider hostile action against the Panatag and Ayungin Shoals, for instance, as an invasion of Philippine territory? And will the United States, therefore, send air and naval forces to assist Filipino forces in defending these shoals?

These two issues are the reasons why Asia will be watching closely the results of the April summit meeting between PNoy and Obama.

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