YEARENDER: PCGG seizes Marcos paintings

MANILA, Philippines - The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) this year closed in on numerous paintings that were allegedly part of the ill-gotten wealth of the family of former President Ferdinand Marcos.

But while the raid conducted on the Marcos residences yielded 15 minor artworks, none of the expensive paintings was recovered.

NBI agents swooped down on four known addresses of the Marcoses in Metro Manila on Sept. 30. However, they only recovered paintings in the Marcos residence in San Juan City.

Among the artworks recovered were three copies of the “Madonna and Child” by Michelangelo Buonarroti, 11 works by Paule Gobillard and a Picasso replica Bass Strokes.

The artworks, some believed to be replicas, were turned over to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The PCGG has since requested the Sandiganbayan to allow the transfer of the paintings to the National Museum.

Meanwhile, no painting was recovered when agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided the museum of the Marcos family in Batac, Ilocos Norte on Oct. 3.

The Sandiganbayan issued a writ of attachment ordering the confiscation of some 140 paintings that were allegedly part of ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family.

Included in the list were masterpieces such as the LaBaignade Au Grand Temps by Pierre Bonnard, Madonna and Child by Michelangelo Buonarroti, Vase of Red Chrysanthemums by Bernard Buffet, Still Life with Idol by Paul Gauguin, Portrait of the Marqueza de Sta. Cruz by Francisco de Goya, L’Aube by Joan Miro, Femme Couche VI (Reclining Woman VI) by Pablo Picasso, and Jardin de Kew pres de la Serre 1892 by Camille Pissarro.

An earlier report of The STAR said the camp of former first lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos is looking into two possible legal options following the raids that include the filing of a motion for reconsideration or appeal before the Sandiganbayan, or questioning the anti-graft court’s order before the Supreme Court.

Crony properties auctioned

Meanwhile, the PCGG also successfully auctioned off three properties seized from an alleged crony of the late dictator.

In September, the PCGG said it successfully sold through bidding real estate properties in North Greenhills in San Juan City (727 square meters), Valle Verde III in Pasig City (721 square meters) and Capitol Hills in Quezon City (582 square meters).

The three properties, sold for P157.7 million, were seized from the estate of former NBI director Jolly Bugarin.

PCGG Chairman Andres Bautista said the selling price of the properties was higher than the combined initial bid of P114 million.

In November, the PCGG also took possession of a portion of the 18.5-hectare Payanig sa Pasig estate.

The Payanig estate was surrendered by Marcos crony Jose Yao Campos to the PCGG in 1986.

The PCGG said it has also recovered a 1.1-hectare lot located at the corner of Meralco and Julia Vargas avenues by virtue of a court order.

On Oct. 21, Pasig Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 72 Judge Marilou Runes Tumang issued an order that granted the motion for execution to take over the property occupied by 25 families.

The PCGG and the Mid-Pasig Land Development Corp. (MPLDC) – a corporation surrendered to the government – are now in control of the property.

The court order stemmed from the complaint filed by the PCGG and MPLDC against Gold Park Inc. (GPI), where they sought to recover the possession of the subject properties.

The court earlier ruled in favor of the government, and ordered GPI to vacate the subject premises and restore physical possession to the government.

The defendant was also ordered to pay over P44.6 million in arrears from December 2001 to October 2006 and additional P770,000 per month plus interest covering the period when it remained in possession of the property.

PCGG said the government continues to lose income from the Payanig property as a result of the illegal tenants occupying a significant portion of the estate. It said total losses amount to over P1 billion as of June 2013.

The commission said similar cases against illegal tenants are pending with the Pasig regional trial court.