By Mario Casayuran
The Senate justice committee does not favor the transfer of the powers of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) because such a transfer ‘’is the quickest way to forget’’ the recovery of the alleged billions of pesos of ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family.
This is contained in the draft report of the justice committee chaired by Sen. Richard J. Gordon who told Senate reporters that the PCGG should not be abolished or weakened.
Senator Richard Gordon ( Jansen Romero / File | Manila Bulletin)
The interview was made after the necrological service of former Senate President Edgardo J. Angara at the Senate building.
What is needed, according to Gordon, is for the PCGG to be motivated and given more lawyers to recover the unexplained wealth of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, his family and cronies.
Also, the PCGG needs to be independent is that it could recover more of the alleged hidden wealth.
The PCGG was created on Feb. 28, 1986, by then President Corazon ‘’Cory’’ C. Aquino.
Told that OSG Jose Calida is an alleged Marcos supporter, Gordon said he does not judge by category.
Calida, according to Gordon, is a man and he is a lawyer.
The House of Representatives approved Tuesday a bill seeking the transfer of PCGG’s powers to the OSG, including the filing and prosecuting of cases against the Marcos family and recovery of ill-gotten wealth and behest loans.
The bill also elevates a sitting Solicitor General to a rank of a Cabinet secretary.
Read more: House OKS abolition of PCGG, OGCC