No talks over Marcos loot — DOJ chief

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez admitted yesterday that he had not met with former solicitor general Francisco Chavez to discuss the recovery of the ill-gotten Marcos wealth.

Chavez resigned Thursday as the justice department’s special counsel for recovering the loot, saying that the government has done "absolutely nothing" since he assumed office last April 10.

Perez told reporters that his inaction was "in deference" to Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Chairman Haydee Yorac, who assumed her post last July.

"It’s true that we did not hold any meeting because after I arrived, Haydee Yorac assumed office," he said.

"The role of the Department of Justice is only to act as counsel of the Presdential Commission on Good Government. We were never intended to assume the role of the PCGG chairman. All inquiries should be addressed to the PCGG and not the DOJ."

Perez said he had already submitted to President Arroyo last July 2 his report on the alleged attempt of Gregorio and Irene Araneta to transfer money from Germany to a bank in Switzerland.

"No one could claim a monopoly of the desire to pursue the Marcos wealth," he said. "Chavez is interested and so are we. The DOJ is suddenly initiating discussions for a mutual legal aid and treaty with Switzerland."

Perez also confirmed yesterday that lawyer Chona Dimayuga, a dismissed official of the Toll Regulatory Board, had gone to Swizerland as a "special counsel" of the justice department.

Earlier, Perez denied that Dimayuga was connected with the justice department.

Last Thursday, Chavez said he met Dimayuga, reportedly a member of the so-called "Ateneo Mafia" at the justice department, in Berlin last July 24, along with Justice Undersecretary Manuel Teehankee and two commissioners of the PCGG.

"Dimayuga herself told me that she has instructions from Perez that any document recovered during the trip should be turned over to her exclusively and that the other members of the delegation should not even have copies of the documents."