Govt battles martial law victims for Marcos funds

Agence France-Presse

SINGAPORE - Victims of abuse under Ferdinand Marcos are battling the Philippines government in a Singapore court for $25 million plundered by the former dictator, lawyers said Thursday.

About 10,000 victims of human rights abuses under Marcos, who died in 1989, are competing with claims from five foundations linked to the former dictator and the Philippine National Bank (PNB) as well as the government.

The $25 million is all that remains in dispute after hundreds of millions of dollars in funds held in escrow overseas were earlier returned to the Philippines government after a 2003 court ruling.

Ferdinand Marcos governed first as an elected president and then as a virtual dictator after declaring martial law in 1972.

More than 500 civil and criminal suits have been filed against the former first family and the estate of Marcos, who was toppled in a bloodless coup in February 1986.

Despite years of hearings and investigations, the Marcos family has not been convicted of any crime.

The latest case was brought in Singapore because the funds are held in escrow here, but a lawyer for the Philippines government said it should be decided there.

He said the Philippines was seeking a stay of the competing claims and return of the money.

Singapore's High Court has rejected the Philippines' bid.

But the appeal court on Wednesday reserved judgment on whether the Philippines has state immunity -- the principle that one state should not sit in judgment on another, Suresh said.

Kenneth Tan, representing the abuse victims, said the High Court ruling upheld his argument that the Philippines had waved immunity by participating in the Singapore proceedings.

The victims earlier won a class-action suit in the United States against Marcos's estate, Tan said.

Suresh said he expected the Singapore Court of Appeal to issue its judgment in one or two months.