GOVERNMENT auditors have found out that nine handguns confiscated by the United States Customs Service from the Marcos family when they in American soil on February 26, 1986 have not been entered into any official records of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).
In the 2020 audit of the PCGG released yesterday, the COA said the firearms were turned over to the PCGG in April 1993 during the Ramos administration but 28 years after, they remain unrecorded.
“As stated in PCGG Resolution No. 93-015A dated April 28, 1993, the United States Bureau of Customs confiscated from the entourage of former President (Ferdinand) Marcos various personal properties among which were nine short firearms,” the audit team noted.
Based on the list provided in the audit report there were three 9mm Beretta, one cal. 25 Beretta, two .38 Smith and Wesson revolvers, one .38 COP, one Colt 45, and one 9mm Steyr.
Upon turnover, the firearms were reportedly issued to PCGG commissioners and other agency officials for their security and personal protection. However, they did not appear in the books of the commission nor were they assessed for value.
The COA said that under the Government Accounting Manual (GAM) for national government agencies, there should have been a separate account for confiscated property/assets controlled by the government.
“The firearms being confiscated properties were not properly recorded in the books and measured at its fair market value as of December 31, 2020. The failure of Management to record the nine confiscated firearms understated the Confiscated Property/Assets account by its total fair market value,” auditors said.
Also confiscated by US Customs authorities from the Marcos family in 1986 was the so-called Hawaii Collections, one of three jewelry collections previously claimed by former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
In the 2019 audit report, the COA said the Hawaii Collection had already been appraised by international auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s.
Christie’s said the jewelry collection is worth between $10.923 million to $18.665 million as of December 18, 2015 while Sotheby’s assessed its value at between $17.24 million to $28.62 million as of January 13, 2016.
