Duterte green lights auction of P704.8-M Marcos jewels

TOKYO, Japan – President Duterte has given the go-signal to auction off a jewelry collection of former First Lady now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos worth P704.8 million.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte, here for a leadership forum and bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has approved the Presidential Commission on Good Government’s proposal to sell her Hawaii collection through a public auction.

Panelo said that the PCGG will come out with the official document soon.

“Sabi ni Presidente kagabi na payag ang Presidente na makinabang ang taumbayan doon sa mga jewelry,” he said. “So tinanong ko siya, ‘Are you going to give the go signal?’ Sabi niya, ‘Yes,'” he added.

“Basta ang kailangan makarating sa taong bayan yung sale, ‘yung proceeds,” Panelo said.

Marcos’ Hawaii collection, named as such as they were seized while her family fled to Hawaii following the ouster of her husband President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, is under the safekeeping of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. It is said to be one of the more valuable collections of the former First Lady along with her Roumeliotes collection.

Aside from the jewelry collection, the PCGG has also lined up for disposal real estate properties of the Marcos family and their close associates worth P336 million and shares stocks in various corporations worth P40 million.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive spent some quality time with his family shopping for clothes and looking at the latest gadgets here yesterday.

In an interview with Senator-elect Christopher Go, he said that Duterte went with his common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña and their daughter Veronica to a Uniqlo and an Apple store.

“Gusto niya sana na bilhan ng cellphone. Namimili si Pangulo ng damit dahil ito lang ang pagkakataon niya na makaikot man lang,” he said.

“This is his third time na po pumunta ng Japan, ito yung unang pagkakataon na nakaikot siya ng downtown sa Japan. Pumunta siya ng Uniqlo, yun naman ang paborito niyang damit, simpleng damit lang po,” he added.

Duterte’s former long-time aide also said that the Dutertes went to an Apple store to look at the latest gadgets.

“Pumunta siya doon sa Apple store para pumili ata ng Apple watch yata para sa anak niya o cellphone,” he said.

“Si Pangulo rin nagtingin ng computer, laptop dahil minsan doon po siya nagtatrabaho at minsan nanonood po siya ng mga palabas,” he added.

Go also said that Avanceña also shopped for some clothes. (Argyll Geducos)