I concur with your April 30, 2006 editorial that the "Presidential Commission on Good Government has completely lost its sense of right and wrong."

Five months ago (January 2, 2006), PCGG Chair Camilo Sabio proclaimed in an interview with ANC Newscaster Mr. Ricky Carandang that SMC Chair Eduardo Cojuangco is a "patriotic Filipino." Sabio was discussing PCGG's plan to enter into a compromise agreement with Mr. Eduardo Cojuanco. Wow! How Sabio came to that conclusion is a mystery to me, because in the complaint filed against Mr. Cojuangco (in 1986), government charged that he "misused the coconut levy funds to buy out the majority shares of stock of San Miguel Corporation in order to control the largest agri-business, foods and beverage company in he Philippines…"

How can someone be considered patriotic when he is being accused of misusing public funds? Especially when these funds (i.e., coconut levy funds) were extracted from impoverished coconut farmers? Why is the PCGG so eager to enter into a compromise when Mr. Cojuangco himself ruled out a compromise agreement with the government? And why will PCGG enter into a compromise agreement when the courts have already ruled that government owned the coconut levy funds in trust for all the coconut farmers? Has PCGG gone mad?

In one of the special board meetings of the UCPB held in 2005, PCGG Chair Camilo Sabio supported Mr. Eduardo Cojuangco's proposal to settle his financial obligation (worth P6 billion) with the bank (i.e. UCPB). Supposedly, the 84 million SMC shares held by UCPB would serve as payment for the loan. But these SMC shares are contested shares. These shares were bought with the use of public funds, coconut levy funds. Bakit pumayag si Mr. Camilo Sabio sa panukala ni Mr. Cojuangco na ang ipapambayad sa utang niya ay yung coconut levy funds? If the central task of PCGG is to recover and preserve sequestered assets then why is Mr. Sabio keen on turning over the recovered assets to Mr. Eduardo Cojuango? Has PCGG gone mad? 

This madness did not end with Mr. Camilo Sabio. On May 17, 2006, another PCGG commissioner declared his intention to protect the interest of his client, the Republic of the Philippines. But the message of the press conference he conducted stated otherwise.  The PCGG was clearly pursuing another out of court settlement, this time with Imelda R. Marcos. "I'm pursuing a settlement with Imelda because our people are sick and tired of this battle of attrition which has now taken 20 years with no end in sight," proclaimed PCGG Commissioner Abcede.  "I'm doing this because I know that it is good for the nation not only because the proceeds will go to our poor people but will at last bring unity and prosperity to our land," he added. How presumptuous of him!

Where did Mr. Abcede get the idea that entering into a compromise agreement with Ms. Imelda R. Marcos would lead to unity and prosperity in this country? The current political crisis has nothing to do with Ms. Imelda R. Marcos and the inability of the PCGG to pursue a compromise deal.

Contrary to Abcede's claim, we will never tire in the quest to recover the ill-gotten wealth, including the coconut levy funds. But we are tired of Imelda R. Marcos masquerading as savior of our economy—i.e., she claims that "the Marcos assets are enough to pay our national debt, plus more." She now hopes to be absolved of any crime, which would happen if an out of court of settlement were consummated. It is called a compromise precisely because it will entail the dismissal of all civil and criminal cases against her. In the end, this will only benefit Imelda. Neither the government nor the poor people will benefit as claimed by Mr. Abcede. Simply put, the proposed compromise arrangement is an evasion of justice.

It is very disturbing that the PCGG's leadership is now all praises for the people they should be running after. It now appears that what plunderers and thieves only need to do is simply wine and dine with the PCGG to evade or settle the cases against them. Has PCGG gone mad?  

Abcede's contention that the recovery of the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family "has now taken 20 years with no end in sight" is misleading. Through the effort of the late Ms. Haydee Yorac, PCGG was able to recover US$681.9 million (Php38 billion) worth of the Marcos wealth. Sadly, the poor people did not benefit from the recovered ill-gotten money because the funds were re-allocated to the hybrid rice program and was released by the Department of Agriculture two weeks before the 2004 Presidential elections. This anomaly was referred to as the fertilizer scam and was thoroughly investigated by the Philippine Senate. 

Settlement, closure and unity—the three key words that inspired Mr. Abcede to pursue the compromise agreement—are hollow words and pure speculation on his part. The key to settlement, closure and unity is justice. One cannot pursue closure without the admission of sins.   

Mr. Sabio promised that he would resign if nothing happened to the recovery of the coconut levy funds through a compromise agreement this year. Hindi kailangan maghintay ng isang taon, he should resign now. And perharps Abcede should join him. Better yet, government should give them the boot.

Omi C. Royandoyan
Centro Saka, Inc. (Philippine Center for Rural Development Studies)