Duterte to abolish agency hunting Marcos plunder

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte’s government plans to abolish the agency tasked with recovering the billions of dollars plundered by late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his allies, a cabinet member said yesterday.

The announcement was the latest development in the remarkable political rehabilitation of the Marcos clan, which has accelerated since family ally Duterte became president.

“They don’t do anything.What do they do?” Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said as he told reporters the government planned to scrap the Presidential Commission on Good Government.

The PCGG was set up three decades ago, just after a bloodless “People Power” revolt toppled Marcos, to recover the estimated $10 billion looted by the dictator and his allies during his 20 years in power which were marked by massive corruption and abuse.

The agency has since recov- ered 170 billion pesos or about $3.4 billion in ill-gotten wealth as well as jewellery, art and other assets. But it is still working to find millions more, including 200 pieces of art by masters like Michelangelo and Picasso, alleged to have been purchased by the Marcos family.

Jean Enriquez, spokeswoman of iDEFEND, a human rights coalition, expressed shock at the announcement, saying “this is really a huge blow to human rights groups especially those who have been against the Marcos dictatorship”.

“This administration seeks to absolve the Marcoses from their responsibility to the Filipino people,” she said, recalling the strong ties between Duterte and the Marcos family.

Duterte has openly supported the Marcos family, cheering on the Marcos son, Ferdinand Jr, in his failed bid for the vice presidency last year. The Marcos family is known to be grooming him for the presidency as well.