YEARENDER: PCGG wins 2 cases vs Marcos allies

MANILA, Philippines - The year 2013 was another good one for the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which won two of its major cases against former Marcos allies and surpassing its P451-million target remittance. PCGG Chairman Andres Bautista expressed confidence the commission will be able to remit P600 million to the National Treasury this year.

As of Nov. 30, the agency has remitted P375.89 million to the national coffers, including proceeds from the sale of the Mapalad property in Parañaque City amounting to P247.11 million.         

The Mapalad property was among the alleged illegally amassed assets of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, which were surrendered to the government by his former associate Jose Campos in 1986.  

Vilma Bautista conviction

Last November, the New York District Attorney’s Office found Vilma Bautista, a former secretary of Imelda Marcos, guilty for conspiring to sell a Monet painting that vanished after the 1986 EDSA Revolution. 

Bautista said they will be working to recover the proceeds and assets that were confiscated by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office from Ms. Bautista, including proceeds from the sale of Monet painting, bank deposits amounting to $15 million, an apartment worth $3.9 million and three unsold paintings worth millions of dollars.     

The sentencing of Ms. Bautista, 75, who is not related to the PCGG chairman, is scheduled on Jan. 6. She could be sentenced to 25 years in jail.  

Bugarin case

Bautista said a writ of execution was issued in favor of the PCGG on June 21 last year to forfeit ill-gotten wealth of former National Bureau of Investigation director Jolly Bugarin.                 

He said the ownership of the forfeited properties, which amounted to P120 million, has been transferred to the government.    

“Although it has taken more than 25 years of protracted litigation, coupled with legal maneuverings and a slew of dilatory tactics, the forfeiture case against Bugarin proved the government’s resolute desire to recover ill-gotten wealth,” Bautista said.

Created in 1986, the PCGG is in charge of recovering ill-gotten assets of the Marcoses and their cronies to be used for the agrarian reform program.            

The PCGG has sold four sequestered real estate properties, including one in Wack Wack in Mandaluyong City, the Hans Menzi Compound and Banaue Inn compound in Baguio City and the Mapalad property.  Lined up for sale in 2014 are two lots in Pangarap Village, Caloocan City and the 2,885-square meter IRC property on EDSA, Mandaluyong, where the PCGG holds office. 

Bautista said the commission is looking at privatizing next year the 1.7-hectare J. Y. Campos Compound in Baguio City and the controversial Payanig sa Pasig property, which has an estimated value of P13.8 billion.

Challenges

Bautista, however, expressed hope the agency would be given more resources in a bid to recover more Marcos assets.                 

“We should be more proactive in looking for leads. There is still a lot to recover,” he said.            

The PCGG has filed plunder and graft charges against seven former officials of the Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Co. Inc. (BASECO) with the Office of the Ombudsman. 

The PCGG and the current board of directors of BASECO sued former directors Proceso Maligalig, who also served as president, Agustiniana Avelino, Wilmar Lucero, Rene Cruz and Gloria Cortez.     

Also included in the charge were former BASECO legal counsel John Jay Consunji and finance officer Socorro Santos.     

BASECO is a government-sequestered company. It was incorporated in August 1972 to engage in shipbuilding and dry-docking.              

Bautista said the company is expected to remit P20 million to the PCGG this year.            

Officials of all sequestered companies have been instructed to come up with their own annual reports. “We have to show transparency and accountability,“ he said.