Swiss Show the Way

The government of Switzerland has earned global respect for its decision to freeze the assets of Ferdinand E. Marcos, the deposed president of the Philippines, and his family and associates. Bern has shown more resolve than Washington.

This would appear to be the first action of its type on the part of Switzerland, but there had been other concessions in recent years to try to limit abuses of the nation’s strict bank secrecy regulations by organized-crime groups.

The freeze will provide an opportunity for representatives of the new Philippine government to press their investigation of the Marcos administration and the evidence of wholesale looting of national resources by Marcos, his family and friends. Implicit in the freeze must be a recognition that the people of the Philippines, through their new leaders, will have an opportunity to regain the wealth stolen from them.

Hard questions lie ahead also for the United States. The accumulated evidence almost certainly will show violations of the law, including personal appropriation of foreign aid intended for the benefit of the Philippine people, by Marcos and his wife, Imelda. That will raise the question of bringing Marcos to justice--a demand that may conflict with the assurances of safe haven and a life of dignity extended by President Reagan to persuade Marcos to leave Manila and end the risk of widespread bloodshed.

There is inevitably universal revulsion at the sight of this man and his family, renting a $1.5-million beach house on Oahu, surrounded by an opulence that has clearly been made possible only by his unprincipled exploitation of an impoverished nation. That can only fortify the demands that he be brought to justice.

Yet it has not yet inspired Reagan to apply his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to facilitate, if nothing more, the kind of freeze of Marcos assets that Switzerland already has ordered.