BOTH the family of the late President Ferdinand Marcos and Malacañang claimed separately Tuesday to be clueless on a reported proposal forged by a staunch loyalist of the former seeking a compromise concerning the family’s alleged ill-gotten wealth.
In a statement, lawyer Victor Rodriguez, spokesman of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, said Oliver Lozano, publicly tagged as a Marcos loyalist, was not affiliated with nor did he represent the family.
“The Marcos family has no knowledge or information on that apparent exchange and service of document between Atty. Lozano and the office of Sec. Sal Panelo,” Rodriguez said.
“As a point of information, Atty. Oliver Lozano does not represent any member of the Marcos family or the estate of the late President Ferdinand Marcos,” he added.
In related developments:
• Panelo stressed no compromise deal with the Marcoses regarding the issue had been agreed upon, adding the draft agreement circulating online was a mere submission to Malacañang by Lozano.
Panelo said his office received a draft from Lozano but noted as a matter of courtesy and policy that they would acknowledge receipt of any letter from any citizen.
• Lozano maintained there was no need to seek the consent of the Marcos family when he submitted a draft proposal to Malacañang for the return of the Marcos wealth.
“There is no need to ask for permission. There is no need to ask for authorization. Nothing [in the law] is said that an authorization is needed if you propose something for the [good of the] country,” he said.
“We are not talking about a case in court. The handwritten legacy [of the late President] signed on April 9, 1971 said that ‘my wealth is for the people,’” he added.
Lozano said it was his own initiative to file a proposal.
“[Even] Mrs. Marcos [at one time] said they were willing to help the Filipino people and uplift their lives. (And) I am a Filipino,” he pointed out.
In a radio interview over dzBB, Rodriguez, lawyer of the Marcos family, said Lozano did not have the legal personality to represent any member of the Marcos clan.
“He [Lozano] has nothing to do with the Marcos family and their estate,” he said.
Even Malacanang appeared to have been taken by surprise on the Marcoses’ supposed compromise offer with the government, saying it would not know if such move had the approval of surviving Marcos family.
On Monday night, the Palace denied it had reached an agreement on the future of the disputed ill-gotten wealth accumulated during Marcos’ 20-year rule, in exchange for dropping all cases against his family.
While Duterte’s chief legal counsel, Panelo, did confirm his office received a draft compromise deal with the Marcoses from Lozano, he denied he had taken action to proposals “to study the Compromise Agreement with the Marcos Family.”
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque maintained Malacanang would let Congress decide on the supposed House bill granting immunity to the Marcoses and allowing compromise on their sequestered assets.
Lozano, in a June 10, 2017 letter sent to President Duterte but coursed through Panelo proposed the creation of a legal team to discuss the return of the Marcos wealth.
Panelo did acknowledge receiving Lozano’s proposal in a July 31 letter—but only vowed to “further study” the suggestions made.
Duterte first made the disclosure about the supposed willingness of the Marcoses to return some of their wealth, including a few “gold bars” last Aug. 29—to help the Duterte administration fund its priority programs. With Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja
At that time, Duterte said he was considering a former chief justice and two others to take charge of negotiations with the Marcoses and “must not be associated with any partisan group.”
In a following Sept. 19 letter, Lozano proposed three ‘alternatives’ to the Marcos question, in exchange for dropping all cases against the late strongman’s family pending before courts.
Lozano’s compromise agreement, however, only covers a part of the wealth sequestered by the government, but “not judicially decided as ill-gotten” and the lifting of all Executive Orders on the sequestration of Marcos alleged ill-gotten wealth.
Using the wealth, the letter claimed, will give “unifying Social Justice for All through massive economic development and world-class rehabilitation as well as enable the government to settle the country’s foreign and local debts.”