Gold compromise
The Marcoses have offered to return some gold.
How much they are willing to return, we will have to hazard a guess, as word of that offer came from the mouth of none other than President Duterte. Presumably, some negotiations have been happening behind the scenes. But as to who is saying exactly what, we still have no details. To date, I haven't seen any specifics coming from the offerors themselves as to what wealth they're willing to surrender.
Of course, social media exploded with just that itsy kernelly bit of information coming from the president. The reaction has been savage, with emphatic declarations that what should be returned should be all the missing loot, and not just a portion. The problem is, estimating just how much that "all" is exactly is still challenging, some 20 years down the road from when the dictator fled.
Carmen Pedrosa, in her column in The STAR, narrates that six tons of gold are unaccounted for from the Central Bank coffers, based on records from 1978 to 1984. (In 1978, Marcos ordered that all the gold could only be sold to the Central Bank). Of course, we all know about the planeload of cash, jewelry, and art that accompanied the family when they landed in Hawaii after fleeing People Power. What we don't know, however, could dwarf that plane.
As for me, I am really more interested in the motives of the offerors. What is behind this sudden turnaround in their public stance? What are they hoping to achieve?
Is this a way for the Marcoses to buy peace from their fiercest critics? A way to further cleanse the family name and contribute to the revisionist efforts we have seen so unceasingly and persistently employed? That could be one way to further diminish the vitriol, and even shave off a potentially substantial chunk of the opposition.
The Filipinos are known to be softies, what with having been indoctrinated in this Catholic belief of seeking forgiveness and being redeemed. Saying sorry is supposed to trigger an automatic response from the aggrieved: the aggrieved almost has no choice except to accept the apology (which is so irritating, especially when one wants to wallow in the fury and indignation).
So, the Marcoses begging for forgiveness and performing an act of atonement could go a very long way towards worming their way into the affections of the devout softie population. It would be very hard for the anti-Marcos faction to rally indignant citizens when the citizens are no longer convinced there's a reason for them to be indignant.
Plus, it would always be the weapon of choice for the second and third generation of Marcoses. They can always tell their friends and foes, hey, we already apologized for our patriarch and returned (what we found) (what was not legitimately ours) (all there is to it). The Philippine government compromised with us! Instant handwipes.
Other theories abound. Is this the path towards the vice presidential post sought by Bongbong Marcos? Is this meant to divert the president's focus from this family, considering he has started to pick out particular families like the Rufinos, the Prietos, and the Lopezes, and put them in his sights for previous (perceived) transgressions?
After many long years of denying that such wealth existed, why would the family now admit that they do have some? Has some new evidence or witness surfaced, and this is a pre-emptive strike?
Buckle up, dear reader. More history is about to be written.
- Latest
