DILAW OR THE LAW?

The yellow ribbon's new look hates JEW process.

A STINKY FISH CALLED FISHY GG

Shouldn't an investigation be conducted soon on the activities of former officials of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) since its creation a few days after former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino came to power in 1986? But wait, is the PCGG still in existence? Looks like they've all packed up and left only fishbones for the new vultures.

This will certainly clear up all tales and speculations about the so-called Marcos wealth and expose grand-scale looting of the same by cronies of the Aquino family appointed then to the PCGG. The looting today is the same as it was then. These PCGG officials then and now are living in silent contented opulence from the hundreds of millions they plundered in their short stints at the PCGG.

Included in this batch of post-EDSA crooks are member of the notorious Kamaganak Inc. who were among the very first to venture grabbing the Marcos family wealth. Bantay-salakay.

I'd like to see the current regime under Aquino II order the Sandiganbayan to require the PCGG to submit a thorough accounting and inventory of its activities and sequestrations since its creation, and furnish publicly an accounting of the method on how these new "acquisitions" were disposed of and also, what offices and banks they were deposited in and who were responsible for administering them.

You see, many of these former PCGG officials are now living bountiful lives with enough illegally-acquired wealth to last them several lifetimes. I know of several Marcos cronies who have escaped persecution and sequestration of their assets by simply handing over half of their assets to well-placed lawyer-relatives. One such kin concerned former Ambassador Benjamin 'Kokoy' Romualdez in a lightning raid then on such firms a few weeks right after EDSA. This relative has since passed away but his loot has been distributed to his heirs who still cling to them and enjoy its fruits.

Investigate these PCGG officials once and for all and compel them to show records of their sequestration activities.

(Image from www.en.wikipilipinas.org/)

CHOKER

Oh tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old RP, it's been twenty-five years, are you still happy ..

(Image from Jerry Navarro)

"HANDS-ON" MY FOOT

Malacanang is absolutely correct in saying that President Aquino is a "HANDS-ON" president.

(Image from http://faxiamen.com)

A DAZZLE BY ADAZA

Do you remember that stinging pastoral letter by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) entitled "Thou Shalt Not Steal," and how it has come and gone like wafts of perfectly-shaped smoke rings?

Opposition firebrand Homobono 'Bono' Adaza assailed that pastoral letter as mere ningas cogon and challenged church leaders to follow up on the message to give meaning to their avowals to fight graft and corruption in government.

Adaza said the church could institute the following to supply essence and determination to the pastoral letter.

1. Reject Pagcor and Malacanang money said to be regularly flowing to church coffers;

2. Refuse enrolment in Catholic schools to children of known crooked officials and private citizens;

3. Read in all parishes and cause to be published in newspapers names of officials accused or otherwise openly known as crooks and grafters and;

4. Deny church sacraments to such crooks and grafters.

The combative Bono, to whom the Cory regime owes much for its defeat of the Marcos forces but who was later junked for his refusal to be a mere "yes man," volunteered his legal services to church leaders and other persons who could be charged with libel for that proposed public listing of suspected crooked officials.

He also wondered why the late Cardinal Sin did not publicly endorse the pastoral letter. Bono asked if this was because the Pagcor contributions to the church were being sent through the Cardinal's office. He noted that Sin, who had been vociferous in his attacks against gambling casinos even during the Marcos years, suddenly reversed himself when the late President Corazon Aquino took over and justified gambling if done only as entertainment (like mah-jong?). Bono said that justification came coincidental to the start of church contributions from Pagcor.

Bad habits are hard to break, and already we should keep an eye on the movements of Pagcor which contributes millions a month to the President's Social Fund. A lot of sosyalan for P-Noy and his peons there.

(Image from http://www.daylife.com/)

TOO MANY CHEF-CHEFS SPOIL THE BRAT

Within the mammoth government information and propaganda organization in the days of President Cory Aquino, then Press Secretary Tomas 'Buddy' Gomez III and radio-TV section czarina and presidential niece (now cousin) Maria V. Montelibano were conducting early probing sorties preparatory for a bitter clash of control for the information and propaganda turf with its gargantuan budget.

Many people in media and in Malacanang were looking forward to the coming Buddy-Mary fight. The wise money was on the latter but not only because she is Cory's niece but also because she has been known as a battler with extensive knowledge on media, especially radio and television. She was fiercely loyal to her aunt.

And although Buddy was one tough character, he was still wet behind his ears as far as his new job as Press Secretary was concerned. He had a so-so background as a part-time radio technician and public relations runner for the late industrialist and tycoon Don Enrique Zobel.

He earned his spurs under the Aquino administration as the 'Peeping Tom' in Hawaii's Makiki Heights who hounded the late President Marcos.

That expected clash with Mary was just one test. Buddy had to contend with the "shadows" in Malacanang which drove veteran newsman Teddy Benigno out as Press Secretary. And of course, there were those numerous media people who didn't buy Buddy's confrontational style.

Media had already fired its first salvo against Buddy: the hitherto little-known fact that he has been married thrice and divorced twice. That immediately put him on the defensive, since he had to act as chief defender of a supposedly moral government. But he showed he could take it as well as dish it out. He took it on the chin and offered no alibis, saying he just wanted to "do it my way," like Sinatra.

Well, as he had said on his first day in office, he was looking forward to some "fun and excitement."

Not so much of the present set-up wherein we now have three men running the same office, a.k.a. the Office of the Press Secretary. They now call it the Presidential Communications Group manned by former FarEast Bank executive Sonny Coloma, blogger Edwin Lacierda, ABS-CBN hotshots Ricky Carandang and Manolo Quezon. But to date, I yet have to see Manolo assert his self in the Palace. If he does, he may be doing a lot of explaining. As for Ricky, many believe (and I share their sentiments) that his ego is bigger than 'The Big Picture.' And where is Mary Montelibano in all these? Perhaps she's keeping a distance this time as it doesn't look so smooth as they begin to fumble while communicating the President's programs and intentions to the public. As the saying goes, "too many cooks spoil the broth." In this case, jockeying for turf and influence as "too many chef-chefs may spoil the brat in office."

Talk is that one giant network gets a big advantage over another giant network simply because the new bosses in the Palace are their top anchors on leave.

We shall all see how they handle their jobs. Will it contribute to a steady acceptance rating (for now) for P-Noy, or will their egos all self-destruct, pulling down their "accidental president?"

(Image from http://www.greatnews.ph/)

"AGUADO BOYS"

There was a time when at the utterance of the words "Padre Faura," the very first thing that comes to mind is not the priest but the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for the simple reason that it had its main offices on that street. The Foreign Affairs Department held offices then in Arlegui and Padre Faura - and now Roxas Boulevard.

When Raul Manglapus was its secretary, another street hounded him each waking day. This not-so-lonely-road was none other than Aguado, and over there frequented a group of grown-up boys aptly called the "Aguado Boys." They used to lord it over the DFA during the Marcos regime, while headquartered on Aguado street just across Malacanang. Their loyalty was to then Ambassador Benjamin "Kokoy" Romualdez. This team practically ran the DFA to the consternation of the foreign secretary and other DFA officials. But operations were smooth as silk, and without the usual bureaucratic red tape.

No promotions, assignments and budgets were okayed by the DFA then without prior clearance from Aguado.

And so Manglapus had to flex his muscles, and first to fall from his purge was Ambassador Ernesto Pineda, considered one of the closest confidantes of Kokoy. Pineda was consul-general to New York when Kokoy was ambassador to the US.

Pineda was relieved as DFA coordinator and placed in the freezer. It seemed his being the brother of former Malacanang legal counsel Flerida Ruth Romero did not in any way help.

(Image from http://article.wn.com/)

"JE NE COMPRENDS PAS"

The Aquino presidency then had government information people describe their chief executive's mission to Europe as a success in an overall report to the nation. How else could they have judged their own junket to join the extravaganza of the bicentennial of the French Revolution in Gay Paree? They simply had to justify the gargantuan expenses of a big entourage by that begging mission.

Well, they struck out in West Germany and possibly hit a homer in France. It was then a waiting game on who among the two countries would help the Philippines. Which of the two was known on flamboyance and elegant promises, but short on delivery? Considering the huge entourage of the Aquino loan-seeking mission to Europe and the large amount of dollars brought out by this group, Europeans might have believed there was truth to a boast made by a former Aquino official that the Philippines is really "a rich country pretending to be poor." Those guys and their wives in the Aquino junket were better off not being too visible when they were cluttering up the ritzy cafes and boites de nuit. After viewing the extravagance of the Pinoy whooping it up in Paris, officials of the Group of Seven (G-7) industrialized nations from which the Aquino mission was seeking financial assistance might have then considered the Philippines as a donor nation.

Not familiar with the refinements of the French tongue, I remember listening to comments on speeches delivered by President Aquino in French at the different functions in Paris. Portions of her speeches were aired on local television.

Filipino experts in the French language and a few local French residents said that Aquino's fractured French was lamentable and should have never been delivered and that she should have just spoken in English. The kindest remark was that it was what is known as "Brooklyn French," that is, it was spoken with a fractured American accent.

I think it was no less than then President Francois Mitterrand who had to ask for an interpreter when Cory delivered her speech in his own native language.

To the French, her speech was simply "petits pois."

(Image from http://web-hotels.net/)

NUCLEAR DAYS AND NEW CLEAR DAYS (PART 2)

Malacanang, it seems, wants to make sure that Filipinos undergo some kind of penitential suffering this coming Holy Week, as tradition requires. There will be no respite from the severe power and water shortage.

Long brownouts may cause havoc among people with medical problems. The suffering is particularly acute for people with high-blood pressure, asthma, ulcers, or respiratory ailments. As such, some may be thinking of suing the government.

With the power shortage certain to worsen due to the dry season, Malacanang should seriously consider implementing a suggestion that the government rent floating generator stations or power barges from Singapore, Korea, China and other neighboring countries. Government authorities cannot simply ask for people to pray for rain. A considerable part on natural human effort must be in place as well.

Or, the Palace should also work in earnest for operations of the controversial Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) and forget biases against the project simply because it was built by President Marcos and his cronies. In the long run, government will be praised by the people for setting aside politics in favor of the common welfare.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will be stepping down from office in a few months. She could go out in a blaze of glory by fashioning out a permanent solution to the country's two permanent woes - lack of electricity and lack of water. The alternative is that she would go down in history as a corrupt and uncaring leader, and it sure looks like the latter.

(Image from http://www.pcij.org/)

FOREIGN POLICY FOR DUMMIES?

Back in 1991, the Aquino regime agreed to allow Taiwanese ships to pass Philippine sea lanes on their way to the Pacific Ocean, and also permit Taiwanese fishermen (poachers) to fish in Philippine waters - all in exchange for five shipping vessels and some help from Taipei to study soil destruction from the Mount Pinatubo ashfall. Unbelievable.

Where were these so-called nationalists then? These pseudo-patriots who now dread a return of a Marcos to the Philippine Senate? Basking in yellow fever I bet.

It's a good thing this surrender of sovereignty didn't cause a diplomatic crisis with China, which could have flexed its muscles on us for violating the One-China Policy - and then run to Uncle Sam again crying for help.

I just hope that the same group that advised President Aquino then on foreign policy will not be the same group that will be advising Noynoy Aquino on the same if and when he makes it to Malacanang Seafood Palace.

(Image from http://ofwjournalism.blogspot.com/)

GUN THE BAN? (PART 2)

SLEEPLESS IN MY SHUTTLE. Lawmakers are the lawbreakers. I'm absolutely certain that among the first persons who will be nabbed for violating the Comelec gun ban will be bodyguards of senators, congressmen and cabinet members. Is this because they are the most despised creatures in the country, hence, making instant enemies and thus needing the services of bodyguards to protect them from irate citizens?

Surely, among those who will be howling to high heavens accompanied by their illegal car sirens about the impending arrests by the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be legislators from both houses and the executive department.

Do these lawbreakers in diguise as lawmakers think that just because they passed the firearms ban, they should be exempt from it? Set the example sirs.

The full weight of the law should fall on these abusive bodyguards and their masters. If the law cannot be enforced against them, the Electoral Reform Law might just as well be tossed into the trash can.

What are they afraid of? If they are afraid of their own constituents, then they have no business being called the people's representatives. Just a thought.

(Image from http://www.timawa.net/)

POLITICAL AMBASSADORS

SLEEPLESS IN MY SHUTTLE. Just a thought while in transit. The appointment of "political ambassadors" has been a practice by most if not all presidents. This power has been abused by our heads of state to accomodate rich friends and discredited officials to the disgrace of the country and the demoralization of career officers of the diplomatic service. Of course, there are a few exceptions, like the late great diplomat Ambassador JV Cruz and a handful of others.

But in most cases, when political leaders want to boot out unfit or disgraced partymates, the inevitable solution is to send them into "exile" as ambassadors.

Once abroad, these misfits, lacking proper training and preparation, make jackasses of themselves and make the country a laughing stock in diplomatic circles.

As it is, an ambassador could be a person who, having failed to get an appointment from the head of state, is still given one on condition that he leaves the country immediately.

(Image from http://cdn.wn.com/)

ARIEL BOCOBO WRITES 30

My father died peacefully early morning of Sunday, January 3, 2010. He was 86. It was a good day to finally come home to The Great Potter. We cremated my father's remains yesterday January 7, even as his spirit now lives in eternity in the presence of Almighty God.

Allow me to share with you the eulogy I delivered at his wake. I was planning to read a letter I had written to him two months ago, but for some comforting reason, I delivered this instead the same day I had written it.

"Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you want it, but you can spend it only once."

"My father was a man who wore many hats - literally and figuratively speaking. He was a lawyer who never set foot in a court of law. A journalist and a newspaperman who was never charged with libel, and who never accepted money for his writings. A public official suspected of the crime of "unexplained poverty," rare among the country's leaders of today. He was an opinion writer who was never opinionated with his commentaries. An "original newspaperman from the old school," and one of the very few if not the only surviving founding member of the National Press Club of the Philippines - until recently. He was a Protestant and Mason who studied other worldly religions and went to Catholic churches and chapels. He was a devourer of books. In fact, one of his goals in life was to read all the books at Power Books Alabang Town Center, a favorite place of his to spend the day. Unknown to most of you here tonight, he was the very first Filipino amateur pelotari. He played amateur jai-alai with noted individuals like the late Don Enrique Zobel. He too was a whiz at the game of poker, and a number of the poker terms used today by Filipino poker players were coined by him. Hence, a natural bluffer but a real honest man. He was a vegetarian who loved to eat steak. A tennis player who loved to serve. He was a devoted father whose best gift to us three boys was to love our mother. He was a brilliant political strategist who always believed in winning. He never believed in second best as in winning the silver. For him, he thought that a second placer never really wins the silver but loses the gold. He was a very independent man who drove his own car for the longest time until age 86, and only until he could no longer sit behind the wheel. He had many friends but was with his lonesome self most of the time. He was a "leftist" who worked for the establishment.

During the Marcos years, my father was appointed as Legislative Secretary, a position he had and then lose it and then have it again. He served the Philippine government for more than 20 years. The Ilocano mafia in Malacanang did not like him, though ironically an Ilocano himself - because he was a cousin of Mrs. Imelda Marcos. My father's mother was a Zialcita whose family claims kinship with the Romualdezes. The intrigues in the Palace soon put a temporary end to his aspirations and took on an overseas assignment exclusively created just for him. He was appointed as "inspector of embassies" with rank of ambassador, then soon after he was being considered an appointment to the UNESCO, again, the Ilocano mafia blocked the appointment. One day, he found himself writing to the "praesidium of friendship societies" in Moscow telling of his interest in founding a friendship society. During that time, anti-communist sentiments were at its height, but that did not stop him. Shortly after, the first RP-USSR Friendship Society was born, and its first president was none other than the late Senator Blas Ople. He would return to the Palace this time for good. Recognizing his knack for the unusual, the late President Marcos sent him on a secret mission to South America for Mrs. Marcos. My father was to spend several weeks in Argentina to study the life and times of Mrs. Evita Peron. And so, in Buenos Aires and its neighboring cities and towns, he met a number of Mrs. Peron's close family members and friends concerning Evita's projects for Argentina. His report back in Manila became the basis for Mrs. Marcos' numerous projects for the country and specifically for Metro Manila.

Only the first EDSA revolution subjected him to co-terminus status in government. He immediately returned to his number one love - column writing.

This is only a morsel of my father's life story. Indeed, he has made numerous decisions in his career, but none whatsoever as important as the one he made on October 31, 2009 when he gave his heart and his life to the Lord Jesus Christ and asked for His forgiveness. He even gave me his blessings. Since then, I had noticed a transformation within him. Thereafter, we began to spend many nights just reading Scriptures and praying together. My father particularly loved Psalm 23, and only recently learned to loved Psalm 91 as well soon after I had read it to him every night. It had become our "secret weapon," and how he loved listening to it each time I would recite it to him. Reading the Bible and praying with him for the last time was just a day before the good Lord called him home. So tonight friends, If you are wondering why there seems to be no speck of mourning in me, I must tell you that I am sad because I will miss dad, but on the other hand rejoice because I know exactly where he is right now - in the presence of the Lord where there is fullness of joy. And that has made all the difference. In closing, allow me to quote my father when he told me this once: "When you make that final journey home, the less gold you carry, the easier the travel will be."

Dad never enriched himself here on Earth. But in heaven, he is now a wealthy heir to infinite riches untold."

"When tomorrow starts without me, and I'm not there to see,
if the sun should rise and find your eyes all filled with tears for me.

I wish so much you wouldn't cry the way you did today,
while thinking of the many things we didn't get to say.

I know how much you love me, as much as I love you,
and each time that you think of me, I know you'll miss me too.

But when tomorrow starts without me, please try to understand,
that an angel came and called my name, and took me by the hand,
and said my place was ready in heaven far above,
and that I'd have to leave behind all those I really love.

So when tomorrow starts without me,
don't think we're far apart.
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here in your heart."

SYNDICATED SYCOPHANTS

Perhaps it will be a feather in the President's cap if she does revamp the Cabinet for the last time but more importantly, break the cordon sanitaire which had isolated her from the public and promoted only the interests of persons close to this group.

This powerful clique controls the movement of papers in Malacanang, determines who gets to see President Arroyo, interferes in decisions of government multi-million peso transactions, orders government officials in the name of the President and shapes the political fortunes of many.

Manipulating this cordon sanitaire are business tycoons, society matrons and certain powerful relatives. Also include well-known professional boot-lickers in the guise of advisers and consultants.

The Presidential Management Staff (PMS) would do well to inquire into the background and activities of so-called career service officers in the Palace, many of whom are corrupt and have managed to cling on to every administration through boot-licking and intrigues.

These are the experts in "missing" important documents which show up only when the proper fees are paid them, in pulling the wool over the eyes of new officials unaccustomed to the labyrinthine Malacanang procedures and in giving important advance information to outside contacts being decided by the Cabinet. One would get the surprise of his life if he decides to examine the assets of these junior officers, especially their accounts in foreign banks. One will also be shocked to find out that several of them are in the payroll of big business establishments and even foreign governments. The rampant boozing and floozing inside the premises of the Palace is a common occurence. Time to exorcise the Palace again.

(Image from http://www.pbase.com/)

DOCTORS IN THE PALACE

There are reports that a confidential list of illegal loggers is being "doctored" in Malacanang to remove the names of some government officials and other persons close to the Arroyo government. This could be the reason the list has not been released to the public.

DENR Secretary Lito Atienza could, for some time now, be between the devil and the deep blue sea, and perhaps was experiencing "heavy pressure" to sanitize the list. Doing so could affect his mayoralty candidacy when charges of coddling illegal loggers intensify.

National outrage for illegal logging is mounting, but still on a slow pace. Stop illegal logging? Puro pangako lang.

(Image from http://www.greenpeace.org/)

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN

One of the principal brokers of the controversial PEA-Amari land reclamation transaction along Roxas Boulevard must be enjoying all his wealth overseas. Now hiding in the US, I would think that he still monitors developments in the country for future possible probes of the billion-peso scam said to involve very prominent government officials and businessmen. As the saying goes, "behind every great wealth is a great crime." And here, nobody really goes to jail for that. Many are in fact lawbreakers in disguise as lawmakers.

This broker is said to have withdrawn in the past something close to PhP400 million he had earned - for closing a deal that probably cost the government up to PhP200 billion in losses - from a well-known bank with a branch located at an Ermita hotel. In other words, he's a take-the-money-and-run type of fellow.

This same wheeler-dealer was also involved in a controversial transaction for a luxury plane which had government probers looking into activities of certain PCGG officials who were then administering properties sequestered from Ambassador Eduardo 'Danding' Cojuangco.

Curiously enough, the transactions were reportedly consumated withthe participation of Hillary Rodham Clinton when she was still a practicing lawyer in Arkansas.

(Image from http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3391/3311422548_f9156c4b3c.jpg)

UNIMPRESSED

That's the trouble with instant projects. In the rush, they usually suffer from lack of coordinated planning and implementation. After all, the prime objective is impact and propaganda.

The Arroyo administration clearly wants to be remembered by its infrastructural accomplishments, and what better projects than flyovers and skyways to impress the public?

President Arroyo, along with her closest advisers, are cramming into the last few months projects that should have been done from Day One of her administration. It has only succeeded in proving right anew the old axiom that haste makes waste.

(Image from http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1307/970650860_145b0beoca.jpg)

THE POWER OF APPOINTMENTS

SLEEPLESS IN MY SHUTTLE. The Supreme Court may be asked to settle an old feud between Malacanang and Congress over the power of appointments by the President and Congress' right to confirm or reject such appointments.

Both sides insist on their own interpretation of the Constitution's provisions on the powers of appointment. If we are to follow the Palace reasoning, all Malacanang will have to do is wait for Saturdays and Sundays to sneak in appointments and bypass Congress, don't you think?

The Palace insists it has the power to issue appointments when Congress is in voluntary or compulsory recess.

(Image from http://www.senate.gov.ph/)

BORLOLOY

SLEEPLESS IN MY SHUTTLE. Whenever people discuss how Mrs. Imelda Marcos was convicted of graft for the "illegal transfer of funds" from one government project to another, we should be reminded that the same yardstick be applied to the Aquino regime for the construction of the infamous Borloloy Building in Malacanang.

Imelda used funds of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) to rehabilitate the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). The Sandiganbayan ruled that she had broken the law. The money used to erect the Borloloy Building came from calamity funds. Release of these funds were approved by President Corazon Aquino.

Many persons are believed to have made dirty money from the overpricing of materials for that building.

Now, shouldn't the courts run after these people - just as it went after Imelda Marcos for her LRT-PGH project?

(Image from http://www.filipinasoul.com/)

FUTURE NOYNOY VS BONGBONG?

Back in the early 90s, when Rep. Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. of Ilocos Norte went to Malacanang to take his oath as a member of the Northern Alliance, Rep. Rodolfo 'Rudy' Albano told everybody there that Bongbong will return to Malacanang someday as President.

This prediction aroused concern among the Cojuangcos and the Aquinos, with some wanting to groom Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino as Ninoy and Cory's political heir. They wanted Noynoy to run for Congress in Tarlac in 1995 - and thwart any attempt by the Marcoses to return to Malacanang.

According to the scenario some political observers envision, the Aquino-Marcos political feud will endure into the next century, with Noynoy and Bongbong running against each other for the presidency.

This may be true, or not, with Bongbong "missing" still. However, it's still premature to count Bongbong out for good. After all, he is only 51 and the so-called 'Solid North' is still behind him 100 percent, not to mention the Eastern Visayas block of Imelda Marcos.

But yes, his silence is deafening, especially after Noynoy had recently mentioned at Club Filipino that if ever he wins the presidency, his administration will look into the ill-gotten wealth issues hurled against the Marcoses. That to me is like testing the waters for future warfare. Bongbong can always retaliate by demanding an accounting of the wealth the Aquino government "sequestered" via the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which I think is a misnomer - the PCGG being known for having officials taking advantage of their positions to enrich themselves as well. A case of "ill-gotten wealth from ill-gotten wealth?"

Including the gold hoard.

Hence, stories from many quarters seem to bolster reports from officials of the PCGG that the Marcoses really possessed gold bullions amounting to some US$ 25 billion, the bulk of which came from the Yamashita treasure.

The late Ambassador Emmanuel Pelaez was reported as having attested to the existence of the gold. He was believed to be privy to efforts by certain relatives of President Aquino to have President Marcos agree to share the gold hoard in exchange for his freedom from prosecution. The relatives allegedly demanded that Marcos turn over 80 percent of the gold to them, and not to the Philippine government.

Let the negative comments on this post begin.

(Image from http://wikimedia.org/)