Solon: Marcos heirs should confirm return of ill-gotten wealth
Former First Lady and now Congresswoman Imelda Marcos and Gov. Imee Marcos of northern Ilocos Norte province chat at the gravesite of her late husband and former dictator Ferdinand Marcos during their visit to the Heroes Cemetery in observance of National Heroes Day, a national holiday, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017 in suburban Taguig city east of Manila, Philippines. Marcos, who ruled the country for 20 years, died in Hawaii after being toppled in a "People Power" revolt and his remains kept in a mausoleum in his northern home province until President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the burial at the Heroes Cemetery despite protests on November 18, 2016. AP/Bullit Marquez
MANILA, Philippines — A categorical statement must come from the heirs of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos confirming the statement of President Rodrigo Duterte regarding the surrender of ill-gotten loot.
The president earlier announced that the Marcos family is willing to return "a few gold bars" that they had hidden away.
According to Duterte, a spokesman for the Marcoses told him that the family was willing to return wealth accumulated during the regime of the late dictator.
READ: Duterte: Marcoses willing to 'open everything', return 'a few gold bars'
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, an opposition lawmaker from the Liberal Party, said that a confirmatory statement must come from the Marcos family.
"There is need for a categorical statement from the Marcos heirs confirming President Duterte's report that the Marcoses are willing to surrender a part of the Marcos' ill-gotten hoard," Lagman said in a statement.
The confirmatory statement must include the specification of the denominations of the amounts and identification of items to be returned, persons or parties in possession of the hidden wealth to be conveyed to the government and locations of the items to be surrendered.
The estimated amount of what is earmarked to be returned and the time frame for the turnover must also be included in the statement.
The duly authorized representative of the Marcos family and any conditionality for the voluntary partial surrender must also be stated.
The Marcos family has been accused of amassing $10 billion in secret bank accounts outside the country.
RELATED: A look into plans to abolish the agency going after Marcos loot
- Latest
- Trending
