Bongbong ex-rival Alan Cayetano says give Marcos a chance

Senator-elect Alan Cayetano said presumptive president Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. should be given a chance to prove his mettle as chief executive even as he maintained that the Marcos family should return its ill-gotten wealth to the Philippine government.

"He was elected, he is set to be proclaimed, give him a chance, let's see what he does then let's judge it later on," Cayetano said in a news conference after his proclamation.

"Kasi, it is easy to judge him and his family before this [election]. Malinaw 'yun eh," Cayetano added.

Marcos, Jr. is the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos who was ousted as president after a bloodless People Power Revolution in February 25, 1986 which ended a regime marred by massive plunder as well as violations of human rights.

He garnered over 31 million votes way ahead of second placer and Vice President Leni Robredo's 14.8 million votes in the latest Commission on Elections count.

Cayetano battled Marcos, Jr. during the 2016 vice presidential race and repeatedly called him out in a debate over his family's ill-gotten wealth.

Cayetano maintained that his position on the Marcos family's wealth remains the same.

"Hindi nag-iba iyon. I did not retract. The issues on the Marcos family will remain, and it is up for them to answer and for the media to hound them and hold them accountable," Cayetano pointed out.

"But he is elected, and let us give him a chance sa posisyon na 'yun," Cayetano added.

The state agency Presidential Commission on Good Government has recovered P171 billion of the Marcos family's ill-gotten wealth so far, but there are at least 20 pending cases against the Marcos family before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.

Meanwhile, Cayetano said that he has yet to decide whether he will join the majority or the minority bloc in the Senate.

"If it will be a principled and independent Senate, I can be a part of the majority. If they feel they should not fiscalize, then I could not be a part of that," he said.—LDF, GMA News