Duterte insists no commitments made over Marcos ill-gotten wealth

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Saturday that his detractors were wrong when they accused him of committing the government to the return of a small amount of the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s ill-gotten wealth in exchange for the withdrawal of the cases against the late dictator's family.

Duterte, speaking at an impromptu news conference in Davao City, where he attended Rep. Karlo Nograles' birthday party, explained that all he had done was listen and "accept" Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos' explanation why the family wanted to return a small amount of the money.

"It's not that easy. Just because I was listening, I accepted her explanation na kung bakit gusto na niya [isauli ang pera]," the president said, adding later, "I accepted the explanation [ni Imee] na 'gusto na namin na matapos.'

"And that was the offer. That was the rational of the governor when she offered."

Duterte also revealed that Imee Marcos had not conceded that the wealth they possessed was ill-gotten. "She is not ready to announce na ninakaw yang pera. She says yung pinagdudahan, pagusapan. That I accepted," said the president.

Duterte also argued that the actual negotiations for the return of the Marcos' ill-gotten wealth would take time, and needed the participation of Congress.

"Malaki pa yan. Kung totoo yan, if there is really sincerity in everybody's heart, we have to start with Congress. You know Congress was authorized... Then it will be the Central Bank of the Philippines and the Secretary of Finance," Duterte explained.

"It has to be the law. And the law must come from Congress, not from me," Duterte added.

The negotiation also needed to go through "many stages" before a final agreement was arrived at. "If it's an arbitration, kasi areglo, it would undergo an arbitration. Kung totoo talaga," Duterte asserted. "But Congress must authorize, because that is money to be recovered by the government of the Philippines."

The president also said that, if no compromise was arrived at, the government could continue to pursue the cases against the Marcoses.

"That realm would belong to the Secretary of Justice," Duterte pointed out.

As to whether the Marcos family's offer had something to do with Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos' plan to run for the presidency in 2022, the president said that he did not care as he planned be completely out of politics when he leaves office. — DVM, GMA News