Marcoses should return ill-gotten wealth to gov't -- Pacquiao


Senator Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao on Friday, October 15, agreed that the family of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. should return their ill-gotten wealth to the Philippine government.

Former Senator Ferdinand “BongBong’’ R. Marcos Jr. (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

Pacquiao said that if he wins in the 2022 presidential elections, he would order a review of the all the cases on the wealth amassed by the late dictator and his family after a 21-year rule in the country.

"Ayaw ko kasi manira pero 'yong issue ng yaman na hawak ng Marcoses, kung ano man 'yong nanakaw nila sa ating gobyerno, kailangan siguro ibalik. 'Yon ang ang sinisigaw ng taong bayan (I don't want to engage in mudslinging but on the issue on the wealth of the Marcoses, whatever they stole from the government must be returned. That's what our people have been saying)," Pacquiao said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.

"Kung sakali man ako ay tatanungin at mapalad na ilagay sa posisyon na 'yan, eh ire-review natin lahat ng imbestigasyon at lahat ng sinasabing yaman na nakuha ng mga Marcos, kung magkano talaga para maibalik na sa ating bansa (If I will be asked and be elected as president, we will review all the investigations on the wealth allegedly plundered by the Marcos family, so we can determine how much they really are and that they be returned to our country)," he added.

Pacquiao also agreed that the Marcos family should apologize for the abuses committed during the imposition of Martial Law.

He said the dictator's children, particularly former senator and presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., should not be denying knowledge on what their father did.

"Kung nagkamali ka, marunong kang humingi ng patawad. At doon sa sinabi ni Bongbong -- sorry to say, ayaw kong manira -- pero itong sinabi niya na bata pa raw siya nong time na 'yon, which is hindi po 'yan tama na sabihin niyang wala pa siyang alam doon sa mga nangyayari noong panahon ng tatay niya (Because if you committed mistakes, you should also be able to apologize. And on Bongbong's statement -- sorry to say this -- that he is too young to know what was happening during that time, that is not correct to say)," he opined.

"Hindi niya pwedeng sabihin na wala siyang alam (He cannot say that he was not aware)," he added.

This was also the insistence of Bongbong's sister, Senator Imee Marcos, who said in 2016 that she was too young to be aware of the human rights violations and other atrocities during the Martial Law, and to admit their father's guilt.

In filing his candidacy for president, Bongbong said he "cannot apologize for what other people have done".