Compromise deal “not even a proposal”—Palace says

FILE: Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (PCOO PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday said that compromise deal on the wealth of the late President Ferdinand Marcos’ family submitted by lawyer Oliver Lozano was “not even a proposal” as it was not sanctioned by the Marcoses.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the former first family already denied giving authorization to Lozano in coming up with the compromise contract.

“If attorney Lozano has no authority, it’s not even a proposal because it was not an authorized proposal from the heirs of President Marcos,” Roque said in an interview with dwFM.

It can be recalled that Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said his office had received the proposal from Lozano who is known to be a Marcos loyalist.

The deal supposedly proposes to the government a chunk of the Marcoses’ wealth in exchange for the drop of all cases against the late dictator’s family.

The palace already claimed no truth to the allegations that the administration has made a deal with the Marcoses.

“There is no truth to the allegation that the government has reached a compromise agreement with the family of the late President Ferdinand Marcos,” Roque said.

Earlier, the camp of former Senator Bongbong Marcos distanced them from Lozano, negating having a hand in the alleged compromise deal to settle their family’s alleged ill-gotten wealth.

“The Marcos family has no knowledge or information of that apparent exchange and service of document between Lozano and the office of Sec. Sal (Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo),” lawyer and Bongbong’s spokesperson Victor Rodriguez said in a text message.

Roque said the government has no legal basis to arrive at a compromise deal with the Marcoses as the country has laws against plunder.

“The President’s statement actually was that he is for it but he needs a law to authorize him to enter into one,” the spokesperson said.

“So just to complete the presidential position on the matter, while he’s for it, it appears that his hands are tied unless there is a law authorizing him to enter into such a compromise agreement,” he added.

Roque also said entering into a compromise deal is opposed to the law except under exceptions identified by the Supreme Court (SC).

“In fact, attorney Lozano also appended the draft law indicating that although the Marcoses have not given him any authority to submit the compromise agreement to Malacañang, he himself agrees with the position of the President that the law is indispensable,” Roque said.