Former SolGen Goco: The forgotten patriot

Life, they say, is made up of two kinds of people. Those who do things and those who get the credit. The papers are now full of stories about the Marcos Swiss accounts. As early as two years ago, I wrote that it was Raul I. Goco, who was then Solicitor-General, who started the move to have Marcos’ Swiss accounts released and held in escrow by a recognized Philippine bank even while the case was still unsettled at the Sandiganbayan. There were many complications. A human rights group claimed part of the ownership of the funds basing their claim on a Hawaii court decision involving punitive and compensatory damages; a London court handed the Refal judgment concerning some promissory notes drawn by Marcos which were dishonored and $900 million was handed down because of Marcos’ default. There was also the Golden Buddha claim and its corresponding fees. It became a vital necessity to secure the immediate release of the Marcos Swiss accounts to prevent the Swiss courts from resolving these claims.

It was Solicitor General Raul I. Goco who proposed to the Swiss courts that the Marcos Swiss accounts be released and held in escrow. That of course, would entail a modification of the Swiss tribunal judgment on the sequestration, and so they were reluctant. But Goco, very diplomatically pressed the matter and finally got the Swiss authorities to agree.

Eventually, the Supreme Court ruled that the Marcos Swiss accounts were ill-gotten. With the money already in escrow, it was not difficult to satisfy the final judgment of the SC. The question is: what if that money had not been transferred and placed in escrow? As any lawyer will attest, satisfaction of judgment is much more difficult than litigating and winning a case. It was therefore Goco’s work that brought the money back where it belonged.

Businessman Rotarian Lucio Gochangco said that Goco, for his efforts, must be rewarded. Yet, he has remained an unacknowledged patriot with even some government officials and institutions trying to grab the credit. It does not matter now that the money that he has brought in is embroiled in this question of diversion. The fact is that the money is with the Government, $676 million which at the conservative exchange rate of P52 to a dollar will amount to P35 billion and P152 million.

Let us give credit where it is due. As Solicitor-General Raul I. Goco proved his vision and ability in conducting the affairs of the state.