ATOM slams Marcos over 'unproven' ill-gotten wealth claim

The August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM) slammed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over his claim that his family’s wealth was not ill-gotten, calling it “untrue” and “absolutely fake news.”

“We, the August Twenty-One Movement, vehemently disagree with this claim of Mr. Marcos Jr. This is untrue and absolute fake news! We will not just let this pass without disputing this new claim of his,” ATOM said in a social media post on Saturday.

It also pointed out that since former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship ended in 1986, none of their family members were detained due to their family’s power and influence.

Citing former first lady Imelda Marcos’ conviction for violating the anti-corruption law in 2018, ATOM said the case did not result in any further action.

“Unfortunately, until now, we have not heard what happened in that case. This shows how powerful the Marcoses and the Romualdezes have been ever since. No one from the dictatorship ever spent a day in jail after 1986,” the group said.

ATOM was founded in September 1983 in honor of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., shortly after he was assassinated on August 21.

At a Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) luncheon forum on Friday, the President defended the assets acquired by his family, saying winning some civil cases over the years shows those were “not ill-gotten wealth.”

“The reason we won those civil cases is because they were proven to be not ill-gotten wealth. To characterize that as ill-gotten wealth, immediately I have to respond and to say— kaya nga kami nanalo dahil napatunayan namin na hindi ito ill-gotten wealth (we won precisely because we proved that this was not ill-gotten wealth),” Marcos said.

In 1997, the Supreme Court ruled that the family of late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. owed P23 billion in estate tax. The decision became final and executory in 1999.

The amount has ballooned to P203 billion due to non-payment and interest, according to retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA News