Ditching the pursuit of the ill-gotten loot of the late president Ferdinand Marcos and his family would be as good as giving power to the Marcoses, an administration lawmaker warned on Tuesday.

Rep. Walden Bello of Akbayan party-list made the call considering the recommendation made by Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Chief Andres Bautista to President Benigno Aquino 3rd that the PCGG wind up its operations and transfer its work to the Department of Justice because of lack of resources needed in building strong cases against the Marcoses.

“The PCGG has no business whining about the lackluster chances of the agency to complete its mission when victims of martial law tirelessly seek justice for the dictator’s human rights abuses. Its recent pronouncement is tantamount to surrendering to the Marcoses, a shameful conduct for an institution that was trusted precisely with the responsibility to make the Marcoses accountable for abuse of power,” Bello, an ally of President Aquino, pointed out.

Since its establishment in 1986, PCGG has recovered $4 billion of the estimated $10-billion worth of the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth.

Bello then cited that PCGG is not alone in its fight, considering that the Marcos compensation bill, which grants remuneration to human rights victims of martial law is also yet to hurdle the Bicameral Conference Committee.

Once the Marcos compensation bill is approved by the bicameral conference panel, it will be subject to the separate ratification of the Congress and the Senate. Once ratified by both Houses, the measure would only need President Aquino’s signature for it to be enacted into law.

Two steps back?
“This [possible passage of Marcos compensation bill] is one step forward for those who suffered during the dictator’s regime. As such, this is not the time for PCGG to take two steps back. The odds are stacked against the Filipino people in the fight to correct the abuses of that dark chapter in our history, but that is no reason for PCGG to give up the fight,” Bello, one of the authors of the House Bill seeking to integrate martial law atrocities in school curriculum, argued.

Further, Bello invoked that the return of the Marcoses to political power should embolden the PCGG even more to pursue the recovery of the Marcoses’ ill-gotten stash because their return to elective posts opens an opportunity for the Marcos family to rewrite history.

The late dictator’s son and namesake Ferdinand Jr. is a senator, while his widow Imelda Marcos is a representative of Ilocos Norte. The late president’s daughter, Imee, is the governor of Ilocos Norte.

Mangling history
“The Filipino people are fighting against the Marcoses’ efforts to rewrite history and we are nearly victorious in giving the victims of martial law justice they have long deserved. The PCGG must grow a spine and renew their commitment to justice against the Marcoses. Otherwise, they will condemn the Filipino people to a recurrence of that dark history,” Bello said in closing.

But for House Assistant Majority Leader Sherwin Tugna, turning over the cases against the Marcoses to the Department of Justice or the Department of Finance would be better since it would minimize government spending on going after the Marcos loot.

“If the outcome [of PCGG’s work] is not going to offset the operations expenses, it will be counterproductive and would just give undue burden to the government and to the people,” Tugna countered.