PCGG disowns Abcede push for sale of Imelda jewels By Jason Faustino 05/26/2010

PCGG disowns Abcede push for sale of Imelda jewels

By Jason Faustino

05/26/2010

Outspoken Presidential Commission on Good Government Commissioner (PCGG) Ricardo Abcede is on his own or without the sanction of the agency moving to have the fabled pieces of jewelry of former First Lady and now congressman-elect Imelda Marcos sold, as the Commission has said it had not issued any resolution ordering the auctioning off of the three-collection valuables.

Earlier, PCGG Commissioner for Legal Affairs Jaime Bautista told the Tribune in an interview that the agency is not supportive of the call of Abcede for the government to auction off the billions of pesos worth of jewels owned by Mrs. Marcos which has long been in the custody of the PCGG after it sequestered them as part of the Marcoses’ illegal-acquired wealth.

In an en banc meeting, the PCGG discussed the proposal to auction off the Marcos jewelry currently being kept in the vaults of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

In a statement it issued yesterday, the PCGG stressed that Abcede is acting on his own in conducting press conferences and issuing out statements on the purported plan of the agency to sell the jewels or that of the State possibly working out an amicable compromise with the Marcoses for their surrender of all illegally amassed assets both here and abroad.

The PCGG advised Abcede to let the next commission handle the disposal of the fabled pieces of jewelry.

“The Commission notes that there has been no Resolution issued by the Commission authorizing the sale of the collection. Chairman Camilo Sabio and Commissioners Narciso Nario, Tereso Javier and Jaime Bautista agreed to leave this matter to the next Commission,” the PCGG said in the statement.

In the same statement, the PCGG said contrary to the claims made by Abcede, “there is still a legal impediment to the sale of the so-called Malacañang collection of Mrs. Marcos’ jewelry, the ownership of which is still pending litigation in the Sandiganbayan; and that it is not timely to consider this matter because this could be viewed as a so-called midnight transaction” as the Arroyo administration is set to dissolve with the entry of a new one on June 30.... MORE   

Source:  The Daily Tribune 

 URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20100526nat1.html

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