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Tuesday, January 18, 2004
Marcos money 'safe': Palace
MANILA -- Malacañang on Saturday assured that the $683-million Marcos account is still in escrow at the Philippine National Bank (PNB) and will be allocated to right beneficiaries--the human rights victims and agrarian reform programs.
Arroyo, in a statement, said the recovery of the ill-gotten Marcos wealth forms part of her administration's legacy to good governance and social equity as well as to justice and human rights.
"The pursuit of justice also means we will continue to fight for change in the political system and in the culture of corruption," the President said.
"We serve the rights and the welfare of the average Filipino and the average family--whether this means bringing clean water to the neighborhoods or fighting for clean government," she added.
President Arroyo allayed fears from human rights and farmers group that the administration party would squander the Marcos wealth for election expenses.
The Supreme Court recently ordered the Sandiganbayan (Anti-graft court) to execute immediately its Nov. 18 ruling forfeiting the $683 million in Marcos Swiss deposits in favor of the government. The court ruled that the wealth was illegally acquired.
Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the Marcos money would be spent in accordance to the decision of the Supreme Court, which had rejected with finality a second appeal of the Marcoses to block transfer of the funds from an escrow account in the Philippine National Bank to the government.
The money will be spent for beneficiaries of land reform. Funds will also be set side for victims of human rights abuses during the martial law regime. These are what the President will do, he said.
Bunye said the President has ordered a minimum amount of P8 billion be placed in escrow for human rights victims. It is up to Congress, he added, whether the funds for the victims of human rights abuses would be increased.
Bunye said there is also a pending bill allocating P8 billion from the escrowed account to indemnify around 10,000 human rights victims during the Marcos administration.
However, he said Congress should speed up the passage of the bill and set aside time to deliberate on it.
So far, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law provides that all funds generated from the pursuit of ill-gotten Marcos wealth should be used for land reform.
Priority bill
Members of both chambers of Congress are working overtime to pass the bill that allocates the compensation of martial law human rights victims.
Senate President Franklin Drilon said that even with the limited time, he is confident that the Senate will pass the bill before they adjourn on Feb. 6.
The pending bill has increased the P8 billion allocated by Malacañang to P10 billion to indemnify human rights victims.
The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law mandates that all of the forfeited assets of the Marcoses should be used to fund agrarian reform.
To compensate the human rights victims, a legislation has to be passed allocating certain amount from the Marcos wealth.
The human rights compensation bill remains a priority in both chambers of Congress.
Speaker Jose de Venecia assured that they still have enough time to pass the bill in third and final reading next week.
Congressmen were urged to delay campaigning for the May 10 elections and attend house deliberations to ensure passage of the bill before session ends.
Money is safe
Meanwhile, chairman Haydee Yorac of the Presidential Commission on Good Government said, "the money is safe." After more than two decade of trying to recover the Marcos loot, she added, "it should be put to rest with the entry of a final and executory judgment."
Yorac said that the $683 million ill-gotten wealth will be placed in two separate accounts--for the beneficiaries of agrarian reform and for the victims of martial law.
She said the fears of the two groups are unfounded but urged them to stay "vigilant" about the use of the funds. SCT
(January 18, 2004 issue)
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