By Daniel Llanto | FilAm Star Correspondent
A draft executive order that aims to lift the executive order sequestering all the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family in exchange for a monetary donation to the government is in the works. The essence of such a compromise agreement with government was earlier discussed if only in passing by President Duterte.
The draft EO is contained in a document posted on the Facebook account of education advocate Gang Badoy Capati, which is being held high by known Marcos loyalist Oliver Lozano.
Capati said the document seemed to be addressed to the Justice Department and appeared to be proposing the possible grant of immunity to the family of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
The document as drafted by the Lozano & Lozano-Endriano Law Office suggests the creation of a legal team to study the government’s compromise agreement with the Marcoses. It contained an acknowledgment letter signed by Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo.
But Malacañang denied that the government has struck a compromise deal with the Marcoses after copies of the proposed agreement circulated online.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said there is no truth to allegations that the government has reached a compromise agreement with the Marcos family.
Panelo confirmed that the document was sent to his office by Lozano but Malacañang has not acted on it.
“Our office, as a matter of courtesy and policy, acknowledges receipt of any letter coming from any citizen. No action has been taken on Attorney Lozano’s proposal,” Panelo said.
Asked if a draft compromise deal has been completed, Panelo replied: “Nope.
(Lozano) submitted a draft, apparently, he drafted. He wrote our office and attach that draft.”
“He has been submitting a lot of proposals and suggestions. Our office just acknowledges receipt of the same and thanks him for his suggestions,” he added.
The document was sent to the Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel last June, the acknowledgement letter showed.
Last August, Duterte disclosed that the Marcos family expressed willingness to return wealth accumulated during Marcos’ decades-long presidency. He said the action of Congress is needed to begin the negotiations with the family of the former president, who was ousted by a popular revolt in 1986.
In a letter to President Duterte and coursed through Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre last September 19, Lozano called for an “appropriate action” on the alternatives regarding the compromise deal.
The alternatives were compromise without congressional approval, compromise with optional congressional approval, and acceptance of donation from the Marcos family.
“Vis-a-vis the current serious political, social and economic problems that beleaguer our country, we believe, Mr. President, that you can promptly act upon any of the three alternatives to use the huge Marcos wealth in order to promptly give unifying social justice for all through massive economic development and world-class rehabilitation as well as enable the government to pay its foreign and local debts leading to political liberation, ‘economic emancipation and social concord,” Lozano wrote.
A staunch Marcos loyalist, Lozano used to be the legal counsel for the Marcos family.
In Lozano’s compromise deal draft that has been circulating on social media. The Marcos family supposedly agreed to “share” all its sequestered properties with government “strictly in accordance with due process and speedy trials mandated by the Constitution, Rules of Court and Supreme Court circulars.”
The World Bank-UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative has reported that strongman Marcos has siphoned an estimated $5 billion to $10 billion in his 21-year regime.
So far, the Philippine government, through the Presidential Commission on Good Government, was able to recover $3.4 billion worth of the Marcos family’s “plundered wealth” in the last 30 years.
There are 248 cases lined up by government against the Marcoses and their alleged cronies in various courts. There are pending appeals before the Supreme Court. There are 85 cases at the Sandiganbayan, 21 in Metropolitan Trial Courts, 41 in Regional Trial Courts, and 13 in Court of Appeals, respectively.
