Palace: Marcos wants ‘stolen’ funds recovered
President Marcos has ordered the recovery of taxpayer money “stolen” by individuals involved in corruption-tainted flood control and infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Malacañang said on Wednesday.
“It is not enough that those involved in anomalous flood control projects face charges. It is not enough that they be imprisoned, because what the President wants is the return of the people’s money,” a Palace statement quoted press officer Claire Castro as saying.
Castro said that, upon the directive of President Marcos, government agencies quickly acted to recover the embezzled public funds, which led to the freezing of bank assets and properties of individuals implicated in the anomalous projects.
Freeze orders
She did not give specifics, but the Palace statement came a day after the reported freeze order being issued on the bank deposits of high-profile political figures: Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva as well as Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co.
The DPWH has also relayed information to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the Department of Justice and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure on P4.7 billion worth of air assets registered to companies believed to be owned by Co.
It has also requested the AMLC to freeze nearly half a billion pesos worth of luxury vehicles belonging to former DPWH officials and private contractors implicated in irregularities.
According to Castro, the actions stemmed from the “swift evaluation of evidence” by government agencies, including the National Bureau of Investigation.
‘Bearing fruit’
“President Marcos’ initiative to investigate anomalous flood control projects in the country is now beginning to bear fruit,” Castro said. “However, the President has a clear directive: to make sure the evidence is sufficient so that the true betrayers of the people’s trust cannot get away from the hand of law.”
For nearly four decades, after the President’s father and namesake Ferdinand Sr. fell from power in 1986, the Marcos family fought off Philippine government efforts to recover ill-gotten wealth estimated to have reached $10 billion.
