On May 30, Filipino of the Future, a Facebook page that regularly publishes pro-Marcos content, claimed that the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) stole the private wealth of the Marcos family. 

“PCGG pala ang nagnakaw ng mga private wealth ng Pamilya Marcos dahil pinagsesequester nila ng [sic] walang due process? [It was the PCGG who stole the private wealth of the Marcos family because they sequestered it without due process]“ the caption reads, further alleging that the commission confiscated the assets of the late dictator’s family without the proper authorization of the law. 

CLAIM: 
PCGG sequestered the ‘private wealth’ of the Marcos family without due process 

RATING: 
FALSE 

FACTS: 
The Marcos assets sequestered by the PCGG from its foundation in 1986 to this day are not privately owned by the Marcoses. 

The former PCGG chairperson Jovito Salonga’s book “Presidential Plunder: The Quest for the Marcos Ill-Gotten Wealth”, detailed how the Marcos family used their political power to attain the said illegal wealth.

One of their widely-used techniques is the “monopolization” of certain industries to be placed under the control of their close associates, otherwise known as Marcos cronies. 

Such high-profile cases of Marcos-backed monopolization are the of US$1 billion in sugar sales through the Philippine Sugar Commission and its trading arm the National Trading Corporation, then headed by Roberto Benedicto; and the infamous “Coco Levy Fund Scam” of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, Juan Ponce Enrile, and several other Marcos cronies. 

One known Marcos crony, Jose Yao Campos, also admitted to being a financial frontman for the late dictator and his family. 

Meanwhile, on November 9, 2018, the Sandiganbayan affirmed Imelda Marcos’ conviction on seven counts of graft for illegally funnelling government funds to several Swiss foundations during her tenure as a government official under her husband’s administration. The number of transferred funds was estimated to be at $200 million or P10 billion in today’s currency. 

As per their 2020 year-end report, the PCGG has recovered a total of P174.2 billion of Marcos’ ill-gotten wealth. They are currently going after P125 billion more. 

WHY THIS MATTERS: 
The post aims to discredit PCGG as a government agency duly created to recover the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses, which might also affect their credibility as a quasi-judicial body tasked to investigate other cases of graft and corruption. 

It also denies the existence of the decades-long corruption perpetrated by the Marcos family and their close associates. – Hyacinth Estrada 

Altermidya Network is part of #FactsFirstPH which brings together various sectors that are committed to promoting truth in the public space, and exacting accountability on those who harm it with lies. For those interested to join the initiative, email info@factsfirst.ph. 

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