Customs Gets OK to Hold Marcos Assets

U.S. Customs officials in Hawaii can continue to hold at least $7 million in jewelry and other property that was seized from Ferdinand Marcos after he fled the Philippines in February, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.

Reversing a lower-court decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that Customs is not required to return the property to Marcos until an ownership claim by the government of his successor, Corazon Aquino, is resolved.

Customs confiscated the money, jewelry and other items from Marcos and his entourage after the former Philippine president fled his country Feb. 26 and arrived in Hawaii.

The government-owned Central Bank of the Philippines has filed two civil suits in Honolulu claiming that the property belongs to the Philippine government and was stolen by Marcos.

Lawyer’s Reaction

“We’re quite pleased,” said Mark Bernstein, a lawyer for the Aquino government. He said the ruling apparently leaves it up to Customs to decide whether to release the property, return it to the Philippines or hold it until the bank’s lawsuits are resolved.

The value of the property has been estimated at between $7 million and $8.5 million, depending on the worth of such fluctuating items as jewelry and government bonds, Bernstein said.

A lawyer for Marcos could not be reached immediately for comment.

In a separate case, the Aquino government has filed a federal court suit in Los Angeles seeking at least $1.5 billion in damages for the property Marcos allegedly looted from the Philippine government during his 20-year rule.