Ramos plans Marcos wealth

Ramos plans Marcos wealth

MANILA (AFP): Philippine President Fidel Ramos will make an
official visit to Switzerland this month to discuss assets salted
away in Swiss banks by late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, a senior
aide said yesterday.

The Jan. 28 to Feb. 3 trip will involve negotiations on the
transfer of Marcos' "ill-gotten wealth" to the Philippine
government, said Apolinario Lozada, presidential adviser on
foreign affairs.

Earlier, the presidential palace said Ramos was also scheduled
to address an annual conference of the World Economic Forum
there.

Last month, the Swiss Supreme Court ordered a Swiss bank to
return to the Philippines about one-fifth of the US$500 million
in assets salted away by Marcos during his tenure.

The ruling has been widely seen as opening the door to the
returning of the entire sum.