RP president calls return of Marcos money 'boon' to country
RP president calls return of Marcos money 'boon' to country
MANILA (AFP): Philippine President Fidel Ramos called a Swiss court's decision to release one fifth of the US$500 million of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos a "boon" to the country, a palace statement said yesterday.
Meanwhile human rights victims of the late strongman said in a statement yesterday they were viewing the return with "reservation."
In a press conference Saturday the chief-executive and former general under Marcos said the court's ruling to return some of the money to the Philippine government is "a boon to us."
Ramos thanked the Swiss court "for making possible now the return of this money to the rightful owners who are the people of the Philippines," the statement said.
He added the human rights claimants would be fairly treated when the final disposition of the money was made.
Ramos said the money was "taxpayers' money" and was not the exclusive property of any special group but should be used for the general welfare of the people.
On Friday, the Swiss supreme court ordered a Swiss bank to return to the Philippines $100 million of the $500 million in assets stashed by Marcos.
The ruling is widely seen as opening the door for the transfer of the entire sum, which has been held in Swiss banks for 11 years. The released money will be held in an escrow account in a Philippine bank.
But some of the 10,000 human rights victims alleged the government and the former first family have entered a compromise agreement in the "disposition and sharing of the assets," a statement by a group known by the acronym SELDA said.
The "jubilant response of the Marcoses ... can only mean that the conspirators (Marcoses and Ramos government) ... have finally forged a mutually self-serving agreement," the statement said.
"They now expect their victims to beg for a share of the controversial assets," it added.
The human rights victims were reacting to a statement from Boston by former first lady Imelda Marcos thanking God while adding that "this is going to be a very Merry Christmas.
Marcos is in the United States to treat an eye ailment.
The human rights victims, however, said they would reserve the right to pursue their claims against the Marcoses "whether it be in Switzerland or in the Philippines," the statement said.
Romeo Capulong, lawyer for the human rights abuse victims, said earlier that a reported deal could give the government 75 percent of the released funds.
The remaining 25 percent could go to the Marcos family in exchange for the dropping of all pending cases against them and the granting of immunity from future suits, Capulong alleged.
Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown in a popular uprising in 1986. The Philippine government has accused him and his family of looting up to $5 billion from the national coffers during a 20- year rule.
He died in exile in Hawaii in 1989.
Imelda Marcos was sentenced to between 18 and 24 years in jail for graft in 1993 but remains free on appeal. She was elected to Congress in 1995.