THE Marcos administration is receptive to proposals that would facilitate the recovery of stolen public funds, Malacañang announced on Monday.
This comes in response to Senator Panfilo Lacson’s suggestion of a “retribution plus restitution” formula, offering shorter jail sentences to those involved in anomalous infrastructure projects in exchange for returning at least 80% of the stolen money.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro acknowledged the President’s power of executive clemency and conditional pardon, stating that “all the good suggestions to recover the stolen public funds are being welcomed by the President, and by the administration.”
Senator Lacson estimates that the government could potentially recover an initial P26 billion from “ghost” or non-existent flood control projects contracted between 2023 and 2025, which are valued at P629 billion.
He emphasized that the success of his proposal hinges on the political will of investigative bodies, including the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), Office of the Ombudsman, Department of Justice, and the judiciary. Lacson also suggested pursuing insurance companies involved in the anomalous projects to recover additional funds.
