MANILA — The August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM) has challenged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s assertion that his family has no ill-gotten wealth, citing court rulings — including the graft conviction of former First Lady Imelda Marcos — that the group said contradict the President’s claim.
ATOM accused Marcos of attempting to distance his family from decades-old allegations of illegally acquired wealth and corruption during the administration of his late father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
“We will not just let this pass without disputing this new claim of his. Which is not really surprising, considering that the Marcos brand has always been known to be associated with lies and propaganda,” ATOM said in a statement.
The group cited the Sandiganbayan’s 2018 decision finding Imelda Marcos guilty on seven counts of graft involving the transfer of around $200 million to Swiss foundations while she held government positions during her husband’s administration.
The former first lady was sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to 11 years for each count but has remained out of detention.
ATOM said the conviction was welcomed by Martial Law victims but questioned why individuals associated with the dictatorship have largely avoided imprisonment decades after the Marcos family was ousted from power in the 1986 People Power Revolution.
The group also criticized what it described as the continuing political influence of the Marcos and Romualdez families.
The latest dispute arose after Marcos addressed the issue of his family’s unpaid estate taxes, which have reportedly ballooned to billions of pesos.
The President said he had not been closely following the estate tax issue because of his responsibilities as chief executive.
Marcos also maintained that his family’s assets should not automatically be considered ill-gotten, pointing to court decisions in cases filed by the government seeking to recover properties allegedly amassed illegally during his father’s rule.
In June, the Sandiganbayan dismissed the remaining claims involving assets in a forfeiture case connected to the Marcos family’s alleged ill-gotten wealth.
The Marcos family’s wealth has remained the subject of decades of litigation and political controversy, with the Philippine government pursuing recovery efforts since the family returned from exile.
ATOM, however, maintained that the President’s latest assertion cannot erase previous judicial findings involving assets and transactions linked to his family.
The controversy again puts the long-running issue of the Marcos wealth — and the government’s decades-old campaign to recover assets alleged to have been unlawfully acquired during the Marcos Sr. administration — under renewed public scrutiny./PN
