The crime remains

Reacting to statements by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte that the Marcoses will return some of their ill-gotten wealth, Danilo dela Fuente, Marcos’ martial law victim and spokesperson of SELDA (Samahan ng Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto) said “Return every centavo of it, but plunderers and criminals they remain.”

“But for us, martial law victims, this does not mean absolution from their crimes of plunder, human rights violations and massive corruption. We see this as a token and deceptive gesture of a family seeking to complete their political rehabilitation,” said dela Fuente.

Dela Fuente is one of the named plaintiffs in the class action suit filed against the Marcoses in Hawaii in 1986. US Federal Courts upheld that the Marcoses are accountable for grave human rights abuses under the Marcos 21-year reign.

“The Marcoses should be in jail for their crimes against the Filipino people and for the destruction and plunder of the economy they have committed for 21 years. They should not go scot-free. The political accommodation and rehabilitation by the Duterte government is unacceptable,” added dela Fuente.

Selda said the fact that the Marcoses continue to weave a string of lies means this alleged plan to return ill-gotten wealth is part of their unfinished scheme to return to power in Malacanang, through the dictator’s son Bongbong Marcos.

“This seemingly new development is, in fact, hideous and doublespeak. They continue to deny that this amassed wealth is ill-gotten, and even have the gall to make up stories again and again. They plundered the country and made the economy worse as ever before. Their continuous denial of the plunderous reign of the Marcoses is the reason why we shouldn’t be plainly accepting these statements,” said Dela Fuente.

The group urged Pres. Duterte to disclose details of what seemed like “negotiations” with the Marcoses.

“The president should stop speaking on behalf of the Marcoses and disclose to the people whatever has transpired in these talks. Duterte should not think the people have forgotten how he and the Supreme Court have allowed a hero’s burial for Marcos. He should be wary of the people’s protest,” dela Fuente said.

In the end, the Marcoses should be made accountable for their crimes of plunder. This development will in no way exonerate the Marcoses’ crime against the people.

“It seems like a fix designed to fool the martial law victims and the people to make the plunderous and murderous Marcoses look like benevolent family to complete their rehabilitation and revision of history,” said dela Fuente

SELDA rejects the alleged settlement by Duterte and the Marcos family and their justifications as to why they hid the loot.

“Not in the name of the victims of martial law, not in the name of the people who demand justice for the Marcoses crimes against the people that Pres. Duterte is acting like a stooge of the dictator’s family. Never again,” said dela Fuente.

Danilo dela Fuente

SELDA spokesman