Move to bar Imelda from seeking treatment abroad

The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) vowed to block the plan of former first lady Imelda Marcos to travel abroad for medication in January.

"We will oppose any motion to let her travel again because there's no need for her to seek treatment from abroad. She can get treatment from here," PCGG head Haydee Yorac told Gulf News in an interview.

"The Sandiganbayan (anti-graft court) imposed the terms of her trip abroad, not the PCGG. She did not comply with the terms of her trip abroad. It is the Sandiganbayan that is going to punish her, but of course we also want to see her punished," said Yorac.

"She must comply with the terms of the permission to go abroad and she has not,"Yorac explained.

"For all we know, there are one thousand and one reasons why she goes abroad. But the thing is, that she must stay here, and she must face the charges (filed against her)," said Yorac when asked to comment on reports that Marcos has been going abroad to settle her family's alleged ill-gotten wealth that was stashed there, for a possible out of court settlement with the government.

The Marcoses were accused of stashing an estimated $35 billion alleged ill-gotten wealth during the 20-year-term of the former strongman, from 1965 until his ouster by a people-backed military mutiny in 1986.

At the same time, the PCGG will also call for the cancellation of the bail bond of Imelda, which was recently granted by the anti-graft court. "We want her bail cancelled," said Yorac.

The Sandiganbayan allowed Marcos to go to the United States for treatment of her eyes and to Europe to participate in a Christian pilgrimage. She was required to return to the country by October 26. Imelda proceeded to London where she had her arthritic knees checked, without the Sandiganbayan's permission.