Lucio Tan offered P500-M settlement, says Salonga

Manila Bulletin October 17, 2007

Lucio Tan offered P500-M settlement, says Salonga
Edmer F. Panesa

Former Senate President Jovito Salonga yesterday told the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division that taipan Lucio Tan had offered P500 million to the government by way of settlement in 1986, but the offer was turned down by then President Corazon C. Aquino.

Testifying for the government in the latter’s ill-gotten wealth case against Tan and several others, Salonga said the offer was contained in a 10-page written declaration prepared by Tan in which the businessman also made “full disclosures” of his relations with the family of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Salonga likewise testified on the factual circumstances surrounding the affidavit of former Security Bank president and Marcos “financial executor” Rolando Gapud, who claimed Tan “belongs to the group that could get presidential decrees and letters of instruction from Mr. Marcos for their joint benefit.”

Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) counsel Catalino Generillo Jr., who was assisted by Solicitor Mauricia Dinopol, presented Salonga as witness in lieu of Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Bongbong had asked that he be excused from going back to the witness stand until the original copies of the documents that would prove his father owned 60 percent of the nine companies currently controlled by Tan are turned over to him by the United States Customs Service next month.

Generillo made Salonga to confirm his statements found in the book entitled, “Presidential Plunder: The Quest for the Marcos Ill-Gotten Wealth,” that the former Senate chief wrote in 2000.

The book, published by the University of the Philippines’ Center for Leadership, Citizenship, and Democracy, and Regina Publishing Co., was an account of Salonga of the continuing saga of the PCGG’s efforts to recover the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses and their cronies.

The 87-year-old Salonga served as the first chairman of PCGG.

In his book, Salonga said that on April 29, 1986, Tan “came to the house to give me a partial and preliminary draft of the fair and full disclosure of his relations with the Marcoses, which I had required him to submit, plus the restitution of the money he should now give back to the government.”

“I remember telling him, in the presence of his lawyer, I would not tolerate any attempt to influence, in any way or manner, any member of our commission. I promised to study his draft and verify its contents,” he added.He said Tan made another written disclosure in the early morning of May 10, 1986 and because of his impending trip then, he said, he asked his fellow commissioners to go over the disclosures to find out whether they may be considered fair and full.

Sometime on Oct. 28 of the same year, Salonga said Tan went to the PCGG office in Pasig City and offered P500 million by way of settlement, on an installment basis of P100 million every year.

Salonga said he thought the offer, which was way below what had been recommended by then PCGG Commissioner Ramon Diaz, would probably be rejected by Malacañang.

Nevertheless, Salonga said he told Tan and his lawyer that he would transmit the offer to President Aquino.“My guess was correct. It was turned down,” Salonga said in his book.

At this juncture, Tan’s lawyer Estelito Mendoza pointed out that the testimony and documents on the supposed compromise offer of Tan cannot be used as evidence against the businessman.

Who do you believe, former Sen. Jovy with impeccable integrity or this Yellow Economic Lucifer in RP?