House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate described Tuesday (Sept. 22) as “very tragic” the apparent lack of continuing collaboration among the government agencies that run after the wealth amassed during the 20-year regime of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.
(Bayan Muna Partylist / FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The Makabayan lawmaker expressed dismay over the government’s supposed lack of effort to ensure that the unexplained wealth of the Marcosses will be returned to the national coffers after Ombudsman Samuel Martires relayed to the House Committee on Appropriations that the anti-graft body and the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) have "no discussions” yet as far the recovery of the Marcos assets is concerned.
"That is very tragic, because itong plundered wealth ay isa sa dahilan kung bakit matindi pa rin kahirapan sa ating bayan, kung hindi nag-uusap ang agencies katulad ng Office ng Ombudsman at PCGG na may pangunahing power para mabawi . Talagang hindi tayo magtataka kung ang mga kasong sinsaampa sa Korte ay patalo nang patalo,” Zarate said.
(That is very tragic, because this plundered wealth is one of the reason why there is extreme poverty in our country, if the agencies like the Office of the Ombudsman and the PCGG which have main power to run after this are not coordinating and talking to each other. We shouldn’t be surprised that we have been losing the cases filed in Court.)
He laments that almost only half of the so-called $10 billion “plundered” wealth has been recovered from the Marcoses.
"Maraming kaso na sinasampa, 'yung maliliit ang nasasampahan ng kaso, ang nacoconvict pero 'yung malalaki katulad ng Marcoses, 30 years after ay wala pa rin ay hindi pa rin nabibigyan ng katarungan ang ating bayan at mamamayan na hanggang nagyon ay suffering because of what they did during the years of martial law,” he pointed out.
(Many cases have been filed, but only those small people were convicted, but the big people like the Marcoses were not, 30 years after, justice remains elusive for the nation and for the people who are until now suffering because of what they did during the years of martial law.)
Martires said since he assumed office, he has not met nor talk to any officials of the PCGG.
"Your Honor, 'wag naman ho sanang ikakagalit ng Presidential Commission on Good Government, pero mula nang ako ay umupo bilang Ombudsman, hindi pa ho kami nakakadaupang palad ng sinumang opisyal ng Presidential Commission on Good Government, so ibig sabihin wala ho kaming pinaguusapan tungkol sa recovery ng assets ng panahon ng dating Pangulong Marcos,” he told the lawmakers during the Office of the Ombudsman’s budget briefing.
(Your Honor, I hope the Presidential Commission on Good Government won’t get offended, but since I assumed as Ombudsman, we have not met any official of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, so it means we have no discussions regarding the recovery of assets during the time of former President Marcos.)
"Hindi ko alam kung sa staff ko sila ay nakikipagusap, pero sa akin mismo wala po akong alam na nag ugnayan kami ng Presidential Commission on Good Government. Sa katunayan, sasabihin ko po sa inyo ang totoo ni isa sa opisyal ng PCGG ay wala akong kilala o wala pa akong nakikita siguro naman hindi rin nila ako kilala,” he added.
(I don’t know if they coordinated with my staff, but so far, I have no personal knowledge that we have coordination with the Presidential Commission on Good Government. In fact, I tell you the truth, I do not know any PCGG official nor I have not seen any of them, maybe they don’t know me.)
Martires said all cases involving the Marcoses and their cronies are now at the Sandiganbayan for its resolution.
“Nasa sa Sandiganbayan na po ang desisyon kung kailan nila ilalabas ang kanilang resolusyon sa mga kasong ito. Ang alam ko po ay halos tapos na po ang presentation ng evidence on the part of prosecution, hindi ko lang po alam on the part of the defense...pero ang pagkakaalam ko tapos na po ito eh, dapat po matapos na talaga sa tagal na ng panahon,” he said.
(The decision is up to the Sandiganbayan as to when they are going to issue the resolution on these cases. What I know is the presentation of evidence on the part of prosecution is almost finished, i just don’t know on the part of the defense…but what I know is that this is done already, this should have been really resolved because this issue has been lingering for a long time.)