Ex-Prime Minister, 14 Others Accused by Philippine Panel

MANILA — The Philippine government filed graft charges Monday against a former prime minister who was known as “Mr. Clean” during Ferdinand E. Marcos’ regime.

Cesar Virata, former prime minster and finance minister, was accused of continuing financial aid to a company that had misused foreign loans. During his time in office, he was generally believed to have been untainted by corruption.

Virata and former Trade Minister Roberto Ongpin, brother of Jaime Ongpin, President Corazon Aquino’s finance secretary, are among 15 Marcos relatives and close associates named in three new charges filed Monday by the Presidential Commission on Good Government before a special anti-graft court.

The commission is attempting to recover an estimated $10 billion that Manila says Marcos and his associates plundered during his 20-year rule.

The charge sheets allege that Ongpin and Virata, as officials of the Philippine Export and Foreign Loan Guarantee Corp., provided assistance to the Landoil group of companies, which had misused foreign loans.