THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT HAS ORDERED AN ANTI-GRAFT AGENCY TO RETURN JEWELRY WORTH OVER $310 MILLION TO FORMER FIRST LADY IMELDA MARCOS THAT WAS SEIZED AFTER HER HUSBAND WAS DEPOSED FROM THE PRESIDENCY IN 1986. JUSTICE SECRETARY RAUL GONZALEZ SAID ON MONDAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT TAKEN LEGAL ACTION TO CLAIM OWNERSHIP OF THE JEWELRY. "EVIDENTLY, MRS MARCOS REMAINS TO BE THE LEGITIMATE OWNER OF SAID PRIZED JEWELRY", HE SAID I A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON GOOD GOVERNMENT, THE ANTI-GRAFT AGENCY, ADDING IT WAS ALSO NOT PROVED THE ITEMS WERE ILL-GOTTEN. "THANK GOD THAT AFTER MORE THAN 23 YEARS OF RELENTLESS PERSECUTION AND DEPRIVATION INITIATED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN 1986, PRESIDENT GLORIA ARROYO'S GOVERNMENT, HAS NOW STARTED EFFORTS FOR THE MARCOS' TRUTH AND JUSTICE TO PREVAIL", MARCOS SAID IN A STATEMENT ISSUED THROUGH A SPOKESPERSON. THE COLLECTION CONSISTS OF THE HAWAII COLLECTION WHICH WAS SEIZED BY THE AMERICAN CUSTOMS WHEN THE MARCOS' FLED THE PHILIPPINES AND THE ROUMELIOTES COLLECTION, THE MOST EXPENSIVE OF THE MARCOS' JEWELRY COLLECTIONS, WAS SEIZED FROM GREEK NATIONAL DEMETRIOU ROUMELIOTES WHILE HE WAS AT THE MANILA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON 1.MARCH.1986. IMELDA RETURNED TO THE PHILIPPINES IN THE EARLY 1990s AND SOUGHT THE PRESIDENCY IN 1992 BUT WAS DEFEATED. SHE LATER WON A CONGRESSIONAL SEAT BUT GAVE IT UP AFTER SERVING ONE THREE-YEAR TERM.
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