MANILA, Philippines – Former President Benigno Aquino III sees no reason to abolish the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), saying the two agencies remain relevant in addressing the country’s problems.
In an ambush interview with reporters on Tuesday at the Manila Memorial Park where a Mass was held for the 8th death anniversary of his mother, Aquino said the PCGG during his administration had continued to recover assets from the Marcos family and their associates and the agency is not yet finished in its job of going after the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses and needs to pursue cases pending in courts.
“Sa PCGG, natapos na ba ‘yong trabaho nila? No’ng panahon ko, meron pa ring mga nare-recover, meron pa ring mga hinahabol na aminado, hindi pa rin tayo natatapos dahil sa totoo lang, hindi tayo sigurado kung may isang taong buhay na alam lahat itong lahat ng nire-recover na ito,” said Aquino.
“Baka pag pinagsama-sama mo ‘yong mga alam ng kung sinu-sino, baka mabuo ‘yan,” he added.
The first executive order issued by President Corazon Aquino in 1986 after her predecessor Ferdinand Marcos was toppled via a popular uprising was the creation of the PCGG.
Among the commission’s primary tasks are to recover all the ill-gotten wealth accumulated by Marcos, his immediate family, relatives, subordinates and close associates and prosecute and litigate cases involving said assets.
The PCGG is also mandated to sequester all business enterprises and entities owned or controlled by the Marcoses and their associates during the administration of the late strongman.
The commission estimates that the Marcoses and their associates had stolen a total of about $10 billion (P500 billion) during the strongman’s two-decade rule.
The PCGG’s 30-year search for Marcos wealth has so far yielded a total of P170 billion worth of cash and assets.
In November last year, then PCGG acting chairman Reynold Munsayac was quoted in a news report as saying that the commission was hoping that it would be able to recover more ill-gotten wealth out of the 282 pending cases against the Marcoses and their associates.
The Duterte administration is thinking of abolishing the PCGG. Last week, Department of Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokono said the plan to stop the operations of the commission was part of a bigger proposal to downsize the executive branch.
On the CHR, an independent office also created during the administration of Aquino’s late mother, the former chief executive said the commission has to continue its task of protecting the rights of Filipinos
“Hindi pa natin masasabi na nasagad ng CHR ‘yong dapat niyang trabaho at habang buhay ang tao at ‘yong pangangailangan na pangalagaan ‘yong karapatang pantao,” he said.
“P’wede ba nating buwagin ang isang ahensya na siyang nangangalaga nito? Hanggang hindi natin naaabot ‘yong perpektong lipunan, sa tingin ko (ay) may pangangailangan sa isang Commission on Human Rights,” he added.
[Can we abolish an agency that takes care of this? Until we don’t become a perfect society, I think that we need a Commission on Human Rights.]
During a press conference at the Batasang Pambansa on July 24 after delivering his State of the Nation Address, President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to abolish the CHR as he continued to take up the cudgels for law enforcers amid accusations of worsening human rights violations in the country.
“And when the time comes, ‘yong CHR, ‘yong opisina dito, you are better abolished,” Duterte said.
“I will not allow my men to go there to be investigated. Human Rights Commission, you address your request through me because the Armed Forces is under me and the police is under me. Kaya pag kinuwestyon ninyo sila for investigation, dadaan muna sa akin [That’s why if you question them for investigation, they first have to pass through me],” he added.
