PCGG to Marcos clan: Apologize

As Filipinos celebrated the peaceful revolt that toppled the Marcos dictatorship, the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) asked the Marcos family yesterday to ask forgiveness from the Filipino people for the atrocities committed during the 20-year reign of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

The PCGG, which was created by then President Corazon Aquino after the people power revolt to recover wealth illegally amassed by the Marcoses and their cronies, estimates that up to $10 billion was looted from the country’s coffers. But only half of the amount has so far been recovered.

PCGG Commissioner Victoria Avena, however, maintained that "the return of wealth is not enough" for the Marcoses to make up for their mistakes. "There must be an apology."

The PCGG is specifically supporting the demand of over 9,000 martial law victims for compensation and an apology from the Marcos family.

Avena maintained that EDSA I is "not complete" because the Marcoses have not learned to repent for their wrongdoing.

"EDSA I is not complete without retribution and without punishment ... history will only keep on repeating itself," she noted.

"I think that is the reason why we have that Erap episode," Avena said, referring to the ouster of former President Joseph Estrada in 2001 amid charges of corruption and bribery, also through people’s uprising.

Avena added that Estrada even appeared worse than Marcos because in two years, he allegedly amassed P4 billion while Marcos reportedly embezzled $10 billion in 20 years.

Avena complained that compared with other nationalities, Filipinos have a short memory.

"Until the Filipinos stop being children who easily forgive and forget, we will always get the president that we deserve. Filipinos should start becoming adults who don‘t easily forget. Only then will we learn the lessons of the past," she said.