SolGen open to a compromise deal with Marcos family

Solicitor General Jose Calida believes the government should reach a compromise agreement with the family of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos to get back ill-gotten wealth.

“If there’s a fair compromise agreement and there are no laws that are broken, we will consider that,” Calida said in a television interview.

“It’s better to have the cake rather than lose it,” he pointed out.

The Solicitor General explained that “lawyers who have been practicing for quite some time would rather have a compromise than have a litigation that would run for several decades.”

On the other hand, his predecessor, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, has expressed opposition to a compromise deal between the government and the Marcos family.

Hilbay already called on the public to oppose such moves as he reminded the previous presidents have tried to make a compromise agreement with the Marcos family but were all met with public resistance.

“All non-Aquino presidents — Ramos, Estrada, GMA (Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria MacapagalArroyo) — tried to enter into a Compromise Agreement with the Marcoses and their billions,” he cited in his post on his Twitter account.

“All failed because Filipinos loudly resisted,” Hilbay pointed out.

“We shouldn’t make Duterte an exception,” stressed the former Solicitor General.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque had already confirmed a copy of the draft agreement was submitted to Marcos lawyer Oliver Lozano.

On the other hand, Roque assured no deal has been made yet with the Marcos family to facilitate the return of their ill-gotten wealth to the government.