Return of stolen wealth will not get Marcoses off the hook, says Nene Pimentel

Former Senator Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr. on Sunday stressed that the return of some of the Marcoses' ill-gotten wealth does not mean they will no longer be accountable for the human rights violations committed during the term of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

In a radio dzBB interview, Pimentel, a critic of the Marcos regime, expressed concern that the return of a portion of the illegally amassed wealth may be set as a condition for the Marcoses to be pardoned.

"'Yun na nga nakakabahala. Ang ibig mo bang sabihin, isauli ang iilang gold bars, yung buhay ng mga taong napatay ay okay na lang, kalimutan na? Talagang mahirap e," he said.

"Hindi pwede na mag-sauli lang ng iilang gold bars, okay na," he added.

Last Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte said the Marcoses are willing to "open everything" and "probably return" some of the wealth.

“Sabi nila, isauli nila para walang ano—and the only reason, sabi nila, was the father was just protecting the economy for the [eventuality] na umalis siya. He thought of regaining the Malacañang, that is why ganito ang lumabas na parang naitago,” he said.

During his two-decade rule that started in 1965, former President Marcos managed to illegally amass an estimated $5 billion to $10 billion from government coffers.

His family stashed them away in secret local and offshore accounts, or hid them through dummy foundations as well as cronies.

Pimentel, in the interview, said that even though the late strongman had built many institutions and constructed several roads for the country, these cannot replace the lives lost during martial law.

"Parang si Bongbong Marcos, pinagyayabang niya na maraming nagawa ang tatay niya rito sa Pilipinas. Kahit aminin mo na totoo 'yun, ang paggawa mo ba ng mga daan ay ituturing mo nang kapalit sa buhay na napinsala at mga taong pinahirapan by way of torture during the martial law? Hindi nga e," he said.

Pimentel likewise stressed the need to know what percentage of the Marcoses' entire riches will be returned.

"Dito sa offer ngayon na ilang gold bars ang isasauli, dapat maliwanag: Ilan ba ang gold bars na yan? Magkano ang value? At ikumpara mo sa tinatawag na nakaw na yaman ng mga Marcoses, ilan ang porsiyento nitong mga gold bars na isasauli, will represent the return of those illegally-stolen wealth," he said.

At the same time, there should also be a "full disclosure" of how much the illegally amassed wealth is, Pimentel said.

"Kailangan talaga hindi puro haka-haka lang, dapat full disclosure saan ba ang mga hidden wealth naka-desposito? Ano ang kondisyon sa pagbabalik ng mga hidden wealth na ito? Sapagkat hindi naman pwede na parang sikreto lang ang pag-uusap," he said.

For her part, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos said that there are no negotiations yet between her family and the government on the return of the allegedly ill-gotten wealth.

"Wala pa, wala pa. Tiwala kami sa presidente na siya ang makakapagtapos ng deka-dekadang kaso," Governor Marcos said in an ambush interview at the House of Representatives on Thursday.

"Ang pamilya nag-uusap pa, subalit nasa kamay pa ng mga abugado," she added. — Erwin Colcol/BM, GMA News