PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte revealed the Marcos family's plan to return a portion of their alleged ill-gotten wealth, including few gold bars, for the sake of transparency, Malacañang clarified Wednesday.
"[Duterte] disclosed about the issue of the Marcos wealth in his speech in the spirit of transparency," Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.
Last Tuesday, the President said the Marcoses was keen to "open everything and probably return" the ill-gotten wealth the Philippine had discovered, including "few gold bars."
Duterte said he accepted the Marcos family's proposal, citing their concern that the administration may likely suffer "big" deficit spending this year.
"The Marcoses – I will not name the spokesman – said they'll open everything and probably return those [ill-gotten wealth] that had been discovered," Duterte said before the new public servants last Tuesday.
"They are ready and I'm happy that we come with a clean breast, make something that is really worthwhile for the Filipino. That's my explanation," he added.
The President's revelation triggered speculation from an anti-Marcos group that he has turned into a "spokesman" and "negotiator" of the Marcoses.
The Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses to Malacañang (Carmma) slammed Duterte for allegedly allowing the Marcoses to be exempt from "accountability and punishment."
"Not only Duterte sponsored the official rehabilitation of the dictator, he now also facilitates the exemption of the Marcos heirs from accountability and exemption," Carmma said.
"Now, it can be told: President Duterte has become the spokesman and the negotiator for the Marcoses," it added.
Abella, however, belied the group's claim, saying the President's ultimate goal is to retrieve public's funds purportedly plundered by late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his family during his 20-year rule.
"The remarks of the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses to Malacanang that President Duterte has become the spokesman and negotiator for the Marcoses entirely miss the point," Abella said.
"The Chief Executive has the best interests of the Filipinos in mind, which is, how our people would benefit from the recovery of the Marcos wealth," he added.
Despite opposition from human rights group, Duterte had order the late strongman's burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
The late President's son and namesake, former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, was Duterte's running mate in the May 2016 polls. (VoxPop Philippines)
