The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) will look into the reported ill-gotten wealth of the late president Ferdinand Marcos in Australia believed to be under the name of a former swimsuit model whose daughter was reportedly dropped from a reality TV show after producers learned her father was the Philippine dictator.
“We will look at the money trail and see if the amount to be recovered would be worth the lawyers’ fees we would be spending for it,” PCGG Chairman Andres Bautista said, adding that he only learned about the alleged Marcos wealth in Australia Thursday when his staff showed him a news item that appeared in an Australian newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, about Analisa Hegyesi, an interior designer, who was axed from the reality show “Renovators” when she told producers she was the daughter of Marcos.
Hegyesi, 40, is the daughter of Evelin Hegyesi, 64, a swimsuit model in her younger days who had an affair with Marcos in the 1970s. Marcos, who ruled the Philippines for more than 20 years, was known to have affairs with actresses and fashion models.
Bautista said he was also shown a 2004 article that appeared in another Australian newspaper, The Sun-Herald, with details on the layers of foundations Marcos set up to hide the money he gave to Evelin.
News reports said Evelin was born in Germany to Hungarian parents, Theresa and Anton, who migrated to Australia in the late 1940’.
The Sun-Herald’s article written by Frank Walker said that on Nov. 12, 1971, soon after Evelin gave birth to Analisa, then president Marcos signed papers that made her company, Austraphil Pty Ltd, the “sole and only beneficiary” of assets in Azio Foundation, one of his secret accounts at Swiss SKA Bank, now called Credit Suisse. Marcos set up Azio on June 21, 1971, with 100,000 Swiss francs.
Evelin set up Austraphil Pty on Oct. 14, 1970 when she was three months pregnant with Analisa. In February 1971, Austraphil bought a five-bedroom mansion in Sydney’s most expensive area, Wyuna Road, Point Piper, for Australian$210,000. An Australian dollar is worth 1.03 US dollar.
Walker reported: “Land title papers and annual reports show Austraphil had a loan of A$250,000 from a Swiss firm called Finanz AG of Zurich. Finanz AG was a subsidiary of the Swiss SKA Bank, now called Credit Suisse. This was the main bank used by Marcos as the front for his Swiss secret accounts.”
Walker also said Swiss court documents showed that Marcos had many of his secret accounts at SKA, including “foundations” dubbed Azio, Charis, Avertina, Vibur and Valamo.
The court investigation, which was heard at Die Bezirksanwaltschaft, Zurich, found millions of dollars came from illegal sources. It revealed Finanz AG Zurich was frequently used by Marcos to distribute money from his personal accounts so it could not be traced.
That lasted a year until Dec. 4, 1972 when Marcos changed the Azio beneficiary to another of his foundations called Charis. Bank records disappeared after this point, Walker said.
Court papers showed that Marcos siphoned $US23 million from Japan’s war reparations into Charis.
Walker also said Evelin paid off the loan she got to buy the Point Piper mansion in 1976, transferring ownership to her own name. She sold the mansion in 1999 for A$6.2 million, moving to a waterfront apartment she bought for A$1.48 million.Australian listings showed Evelin’s name in several investment companies.
Walker said in April 1972 she set up Australasia Trading and Investment Corporation. In August 1973, she set up Lima Investments, which had Austraphil as a major shareholder. Annual reports showed Finanz AG lent Lima A$100,000 as an unsecured loan. Lima invested in a West Australian cattle property called Drysdale River Station.
Walker also said court documents showed that, between 1982 and 1985, Marcos’ Vibur Foundation sent several transfers totaling $US200,000 to Credit Suisse Hong Kong marked “Vienna/Sydney.”
“This money was obviously destined for Evelin Hegyesi in Sydney and Anita Langheinz in Vienna,” Walker quoted court records.
The same records also showed that in 1982 there were several payments from Marcos’ Vibur Foundation to an account at the Bank of NSW (now known as Westpac).The same Vibur Foundation account paid some administrative costs and payments in Australian dollars to the SKA bank subsidiary Finanz AG, according to court records.
The PCGG was established by the late president Corazon Aquino immediately after she assumed the presidency following the ouster of Marcos through People Power in 1986 to recover the dictator’s alleged ill-gotten wealth estimated to reach US$10 billion.
The Philippines has a treaty with Australia on mutual assistance in criminal matters (IMAC). Bautista said he was told by an old hand in the PCGG that the Commission did not pursue an IMAC petition on the Hegyesi account because it involved less than US$500,000.
PCGG to go after Marcos wealth??? Ho…hummm….
Mahigit dalawang dekada na ang lumipas mula ng maitatag ang PCGG nuong rehimeng Cory Aquino. Ang unang PCGG commissioner nuon ay si Jovito Salonga, may napala ba ang bansa? Ang alam kong ang may napala ay ang mga abugado ng Pilipinas na humahawak ng mga kaso at ang mga commissioner ng PCGG. Naalala ko nuon, may napanood ako sa news, sa GMA7 yata. Nakunan ng video ang bahay ng mga Salonga at tyempong naka bukas ang gate nila nuon. Nakita ang sangkaterbang mamahaling sasakyan na nakaparada sa kanilang garahe. Nagalit ang guard nuon at dali daling sinara ang gate. Hmp!!!
Does the PCGG render any periodic annual financial report on the its efforts to get back the Marcos wealth?
Like an Income Statement? Revenue less Expenses?
Value of Wealth retrieved less Expenses = Net/Loss
Annual and Year-to-date. Since they started.
Merong kamag-anak and Dad ko na abugado ng PCGG. Dati nagbebenta lang ng sporting goods sa Raon. Ngayon, kasing laki ng golf course ang mga lupain.
Kailangan na siguro ng PCGG2. Ito yung maghahabol dun sa mga nagnakaw nung pinagnakawan. Hahaha.
The PCGG will “look” into…”look”, may nakita sila, hindi ba? ano ang nagawa nila?…hanggang “look” lang naman at wala na…ay naku!
…wasn’t Camilo Sabio a member of this PCGG before..during Cory’s time? and wasn’t he investigated a year or so ago? ano ang nangyari? nasaan na siya ngayon?
Kailangan na siguro ng PCGG2. Ito yung maghahabol dun sa mga nagnakaw nung pinagnakawan. Hahaha. -Tongue
Approve! Hahaha!!!
It would be insteresting to see a progress report from PCGG against valuated targets. That way we can at least make an objective assessment, an we can also look at their justifications, experiences, successes, failures, inspiration, frustrations, recommendations for future similar endeavors, perhaps we can learn from their experience – now thats good material for a book.
chi: PCGG2? I hope it will not stand for Putot & Co..Guttierez & Gonzales…
Perfect example yung Philcomsat na sinequester ng PCGG. Si Presidente A ang nakaupo, crony niya ang may control. Palit si Presidente B, palit na naman ng board of directors, cronies niya naman. Si Presidente C na ngayon, bago na uli ang board, panibagong gatasan.
Ang kawawang kumpanya, ilang taon nang hinuhuthot ang pera ng mga appointees ng PCGG, bulok na yung satellite at malapit na yatang bumagsak, di pa rin kumikita ni piso ang taumbayan. Pero yung PCGG Commissioner na naka-assign, bagong Toyota Camry ang car plan.
Yung mga nasequester sa mga Panlilio nasaan na? Ginawa namin yung electrical portion ng renovation nila nung Phil. Village Hotel nila sa airport. P1M lang, hindi makabayad; ilang seminars at company excursion ang ginawa namin sa Puerto Azul para maka-offset sa utang nila. Walang kapera-pera, nilustay yata ng husto ng PCGG managers. Nung pangit na ang facilities, saka binenta ng mura. Ano ba yan?
Nangingislap na naman ang mga mata nila dito sa sariwang pera sa Australia. Amoy kwarta na naman.
Nakakakilabot ang kwento mo, Tongue! Ganun pala ang pinaggagawa nila sa PCGG, isa pang inutil na agency walang naibabalik na pera sa kaban ng bayan puro sa kaban nila.
One quarter of a century nang ginagastusan ng taumbayan yang PCGG, magkano na ang naisoli? Magkano ang tinubo ng “investment” ng madlang-people?
Kung tutuusin, yang San Miguel Corp. at UCPB, pera na ng magni-niyog dapat iyan. Kaya ba nilang kunin yan kay TITO Danding?
PCGG
Perang Cojuangco, Galing Gobyerno.
Nakakakilabot ang kwento mo, Tongue! Ganun pala ang pinaggagawa nila sa PCGG, isa pang inutil na agency walang naibabalik na pera sa kaban ng bayan puro sa kaban nila. – chi
Naku tsismis lang yan, itanong mo pa kay dinah-pinoy. I-google mo ang board of directors ng Philcomsat, nandoon ang nagdudumilat na katotohanan. Nagkaroon pa ng panahon na dalawa ang board of directors ng Philcomsat/PHC/POTC isang grupo ang ulo ay si Benito Araneta (pinsan ni Piggy Pidal) ang isa ay grupo ni Vic Africa.
Alam na ninyo kung saan pumanig ang SEC. dahil panahon ito ni Putot.
PHILSTAR – Mar. 5, 2011
PCGG uncovers $9.5-M fee anomaly
We had a chance of wiping the slate clean and starting properly after Marcos, but instead of establishing a system that would have been more suitable for us but it seems we just copied the American model, assuming that it will with our own setting. Instead we see the same musical chairs played by the ruling elite.
We can rant all we like, there are so many eloquent Filipinos who can write fiery, inspirational, visionary, literary masterpieces (smart stuff) summing up our collective dreams and aspirations but as long as the “ruling elite” do not genuinely believe in them, it will just be the same game of musical chairs.
What could we possibly do to genuinely come up with a set of leaders that will truly look for the welfare of the country and the people? Is there a system of government that can assure this? Do we really have any hope of collectively charting our destiny as a people or do we still have to excel and at least be at par with the elite, or be content with their scraps, or look for opportunities elsewhere?
#13,14. Mga PI sila! E teka…ano na lang ang nagawa ni Salonga?!
What could we possibly do to genuinely come up with a set of leaders that will truly look for the welfare of the country and the people? Is there a system of government that can assure this? jug
Pnoy can assign the well-intentioned Magdalos ang Tanay Boys to see if they can look out for the country and people amidst political battles. Let’s see it they really got the determination and will to effect needed changes.
For your #2 question, I don’t think there is. The system is run by politicians, elected and appointed leaders who are supposed to run the government efficiently by consulting the citizenry. The system is as good only as the leaders run it.
…good or bad only as the leaders who run it.
To me, it’s equitable justice. If people are certain to get screwed by violating laws, they won’t do it. If one gets punished for an offense and another one doing it gets scot-free, he will just taunt the first, “See?”
So it’s important to begin punishing the guilty, first-come first-serve, and without delay, or else everyone will be doing a Lacson.
We are not barbarians, when we enter the gates of Subic, there is an instant transformation. But it dissipates just as quickly as we exit. Ditto our OFWs on foreign soil.
Dapat sa PCGG na yan i-abolish na. Walang kwenta!!!
mula sa “A Damaged Culture: A New Philippines?
By James Fallows – 1987
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Still, for all the damage Marcos did, it’s not clear that he caused the country’s economic problems, as opposed to intensifying them. Most of the things that now seem wrong with the economy–grotesque extremes of wealth and poverty, land-ownership disputes, monopolistic industries in cozy, corrupt cahoots with the government–have been wrong for decades. When reading Philippine novels or history books, I would come across a passage that resembled what I’d seen in the Manila slums or on a farm. Then I would read on and discover that the description was by an American soldier in the 1890s, or a Filipino nationalist in the 1930s, or a foreign economist in the 1950s, or a young politician like Ferdinand Marcos or Benigno Aquino in the 1960s. “Here is a land in which a few are spectacularly rich while the masses remain abjectly poor. . . . Here is a land consecrated to democracy but run by an entrenched plutocracy. Here, too, are a people whose ambitions run high, but whose fulfillment is low and mainly restricted to the self-perpetuating elite.’ The precise phrasing belongs to Benigno Aquino, in his early days in politics, but the thought has been expressed by hundreds of others. Koreans and Japanese love to taunt Americans by hauling out old, pompous predictions that obviously have not come true. “Made in Japan’ would always mean “shoddy.’ Korea would “always’ be poor. Hah hah hah! You smug Yankees were so wrong! Leafing back through Filipinology has the opposite effect: it is surprising, and depressing, to see how little has changed.
BECAUSE PREVIOUS CHANGES OF GOVERNMENT HAVE meant so little to the Philippines, it is hard to believe that replacing Marcos with Aquino, desirable as it doubtless is, will do much besides stanching the flow of crony profits out of the country. In a sociological sense the elevation of Corazon Aquino through the EDSA revolution should probably be seen not as a revolution but as the restoration of the old order. Marcos’s rise represented the triumph of the nouveau riche. He was, of course, an Ilocano, from the tough, frugal Ilocos region, in the northwest corner of Luzon. Many of those whom he enriched were also outsiders to the old-money, old-family elite that had long dominated the country’s politics. These elite groups, often referred to in shorthand as Makati (the name of the wealthy district and business center of Manila), regarded Marcos the way high-toned Americans regarded Richard Nixon: clever and ambitious, but so uncouth.
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kahit ilang palit ng gobyerno, bulok pa rin.
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We are not barbarians, when we enter the gates of Subic, there is an instant transformation. But it dissipates just as quickly as we exit. Ditto our OFWs on foreign soil.
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mula pa rin sa “A damaged culture….”
It can’t be any inherent defect in the people: outside this culture they thrive. Filipino immigrants to the United States are more successful than immigrants from many other countries. Filipino contract laborers, working for Japanese and Korean construction companies, built many of the hotels, ports, and pipelines in the Middle East. “These are the same people who shined under the Japanese managers,’ Blas Ople, a veteran politician, told me. “But when they work for Filipino contractors, the schedule lags.’ It seems unlikely that the problem is capitalism itself, even though Philippine Marxists argue endlessly that it grinds up the poor to feed the rich. If capitalism were the cause of Philippine underdevelopment, why would its record be so different everywhere else in the region? In Japan, Korea, Singapore, and elsewhere Asian-style capitalism has not only led to trade surpluses but also created Asia’s first real middle class. Chinese economists can’t call what they’re doing capitalism, but they can go on for hours about how “market reforms’ will lead to a better life for most people.
If the problem in the Philippines does not lie in the people themselves or, it would seem, in their choice between capitalism and socialism, what is the problem? I think it is cultural, and that it should be thought of as a failure of nationalism.
It may seem perverse to wish for more nationalism in any part of the Third World. Americans have come to identify the term with the tiny-country excesses of the United Nations. Nationalism can of course be divisive, when it sets people of one country against another. But its absence can be even worse, if that leaves people in the grip of loyalties that are even narrower and more fragmented. When a country with extreme geographic, tribal, and social-class differences, like the Philippines, has only a weak offsetting sense of national unity, its public life does become the war of every man against every man.
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Leafing back through Filipinology has the opposite effect: it is surprising, and depressing, to see how little has changed.
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nakakapanglumo, nakakaiyak. masaklap tanggapin ang katotohanan. mula sa steet vendor hanggang kataas-taasang antas ng lipunan ay ‘against ever man’ ang asal. walang malasakit ‘for the common good’.
puro sisi sa mga nasa itaas, ano ba ang ginagawa ng mga nasa ibaba?
isang halimbawa: bakit maraming basura sa kalsada? sasabihin na hindi nililinis, eh sino ba ang nagkalat?
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Naku tsismis lang yan, itanong mo pa kay dinah-pinoy.
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lahat yata ng kabulukan sa pinas ay ginagawang tsismis lamang. walang napaparusahan. darating ang panahon, si jose pidal, jose vilarde, william saunders, ay tsismis lamang, ang ginawa ni joc-joc, jun losada, ay kathang isip, ang boracay mansions ay tsismis artista.
ang kasabihan nga: “we deserve” the gov’t we chose. kaya nga ang sabi ni Quezon..”he’d rather have a gov’t run like hell by Filipinos”..ano kaya kung China ang magpapalakad ..daming pugot ulo at mabawasan ang gulo!
kultura na minana pa sa kastila, ang manggaya ng banyaga ay sikat ka sa lipunan. magsalita ka ng tagalog ikaw ay pagtatawanan. at kung english naman, nakatunganga, tila wala namang maintidihan. Nakakaloko makita dito sa LA ang isang pamaskong handog ng local network sa Pinas na ang background ay falling snow. tropical weather bakit nakasuot ng bunete sa ulo. Di malayong mawala ang ating tunay na kultura kung patuloy tayong maniniwala sa kagandahan ng ibang bansa maliban sa ating sariling bayan. Filipinas.
kaya nga ako seguro sa paguwi next time…sa summer, magsusuot ako ng boots, ski hat, muffler, and then ask the taxi driver to take me to St. Andrew’s Field…kaya lang my cousins will not meet me at the airport!
Masasabi ko lang sa mga PCGG ay puro kayo “TANGA”. 2 dekada na ang nakalipas at ito ang uunahin ninyo. Mga Gago talaga ba ang mga nasa Gobyerno natin. Ibig kong sabihin ay mga gago ang mga matataas na puwesto. Ayan si Pandak , ayan si Garcia , ayan si Ligot, Ayan si Reyes (patay) na bakit di iyan ang unahin ninyo. Tanga talaga ang mga ito. kaya walang mapupuntahan ang mga bagay na iyan. Sa Kaso ni Gonzalez ay bakit ba pinapa tagal pa iyan. Kung nag labas na sila ng resulta ay action na ang kasunod. Di puro palitan ng kuro kur Kung sino ang tama. Action na agad at bitbitin na ang kumag na iyan.
PCGG is an example of an something that was created with good intentions but went wrong in the implementation.
Greed. Nasilaw sa daming pera yung mga commissioners.
Becky: we are full of good intentions but poor in actons..sayang! in Visayan lingo..kanugon kaayo!
Mayaman pala talaga ang bansa, kung pag-aalisin-abolish ang ibang ahensya na “kurakot”. Katulad ng PCGG, at iba pa ?..Comelec yata, dapat ma renovate din ( lottery System na Lang, isulat sa tambyulo ang qualified na tatakbo sa pwesto. Bago maging qualified, mayroong tribunal na pagdadaanan sila na mahigit ang proseso, bawal ang dynasty, bawal ang milyonaryo, i.e.. ala CA, walang king-makers at lagay system )…Ngunit, ang tanong, Maypag-asa pa kayang
magBago ang ugali ng Pinoy ?…renovate din kaya ang mga
schools, mula 2-3-5 years old na kabataan, sila ang pag-Asa ng Bayan. Sa murang idada sila hubugin ng husto, sa Diyos, Bayan at sa Tao, pakikipagkapwa ?..A penny worth of thoughts.