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RP Softens Stand on Imelda's Return

Legal undercurrents could pressure President Aquino to decide that the "proper time" has come

Casiano Mayor writes from Manila
THE widow of former strongman Ferdinand Marcos, who had said she would like to return home to the Philippines which they ruled like a fiefdom for 20 years, is likely to make her wish come true five years after they fled in exile to Hawaii.
Over the past few weeks. President Corazon Aquino's government appeared to soften from its earlier stand not to allow Imelda Marcos to set foot on Philippine soil for fear that she would open a bag of mischiefs to destabilise her government.
Mrs. Aquino—widow of the late President Marcos' political arch rival. Senator Benigno S. Aquino, and who rise to power In a peaceful "People Power" revolt in 1986—has said that her government was not against the return of Mrs. Marcos “at the appropriate time."
'Signs point to a softening in the administrations stand regarding the return of Mrs. Imelda Marcos," said the mass circulated Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper.
It noted that Mrs. Aquino, unlike in previous years, did not flatly rule out a homecoming for Mrs. Marcos despite
her qualifying statement that she be allowed to come home to face charges in court at an appropriate time.
While MAs. Aquino did not deviate much from her position a year ago that the time wasn't ripe to allow the former First Lady to return home, legal undercurrents on her government's quest to recover the bank account of the Marcoses in Switzerland could put a screw on her to decide that the proper time has come.
Mrs. Aquino has rejected previous requests of Mrs. Marcos—whom her government suspected of helping finance demonstrations by Marcos loyalists in the past as well as some of the six failed putsches, two of which nearly toppled her from power—for fear that Imelda would use her wealth to destabilise her government.
The ghost of Mrs. Marcos homecoming—an issue which
the Philippine Supreme Court has buried In its 1989 verdict that she remained a security risk—rose from its grave early March when a government official said he would file criminal charges against Mrs. Marcos in a Philippine court.
David Castro, chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) tasked to recover the Marcoses' alleged Ill-gotten wealth, added that he would recommend that the former First Lady be allowed to return to face trial "to eliminate any legal technicality" that might snag the government's effort to recover the Marcoses bank accounts in Switzerland.
Mr. Castro made his comments during a press conference in the wake of a ruling by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court that it would return to the Philippine government about US$350 million the Marcoses had deposited In
Swiss banks on condition that . a competent criminal court is-, sues a legally binding verdict against them.
Mr. Castro said the Swiss Federal- Supreme Court has given the Philippines up to December 21 to file charges against Mrs. Marcos. He hoped that Mrs. Aquino will decide to allow the former First Lady to return before that date because the Swiss court required that she be allowed to attend the trial.
"1 don't think Malacanang (the presidential palace) will decide on the last day/ Mr. Castro said in response to s query on how soon did he expect Mrs. Aquino to declare that Mrs. Marcos be allowed to come home.
He said the government will file criminal and forfeiture cases against Mrs. Marcos once the president made her decision.
The Philippine government
believes the Marcoses have stashed away at least US$5 billion in hidden accounts of fictitious firms or foundations or those of their cronies during their 20-year rule. It hopes that the recovery .of the US$350 million deposited in their name could lead to the recovery of their other hidden accounts.
While the PCGG was preparing the charges to be filed against Mrs. Marcos In a Philippine court, her Manila lawyer Antonio coronel said he will advise her when they meet in New York tn March to apply for passport at the Philippine consulate there.
If the consulate In New York would reject the request. Mr. Coronel said, he would request Foreign Secretary Raul Manglapus to issue a passport for Mrs. Marcos hare in Manila and go to the Supreme Court if
the Foreign Secretary would further reject It.
Mr. Coronel, a prominent Manila defence lawyer, told the Philippine Daily Globe newspaper he believed the Supreme Court will overturn Its previous ruling because the military, which testified In previous hearings that Mrs. Marcos had remained a security risk, publicly admitted this time that she was no longer a threat.
Military chief Lieutenant General Rodolfo Blazon has told reporters that Mrs Marcos' return to the Philippines may trigger a new wave of anti-government street protests but that she no longer posed as an immediate threat to the country's security.
Mrs. Aquino, who said she has asked her political advisers to study the situation, has not given any hint when she would announce her decision. But whatever her decision would be the political and legal climate seem to favour the return of Mrs. Marcos within the year.
—Depthnews Asia