TRENTON Reuter: A New Jersey state court gave the government of Corazon Aquino its first outright victory in a campaign to recover property it claims ousted President Ferdinand Marcos bought with funds stolen from the Philippine treasury.
Superior Court Judge Paul Levy ordered title to an 18th century one million dollar mansion in Lawrence town ship and bank accounts containing 480000 dollars transferred to the Philippine government.
Lawyer Morton Stavis President of the Centre for constitutional rights who represented the Aquino government said it was the first time that assets illegally obtained by Marcos had been returned to the Philippine government by court order.
“This sets a precedent that will bear favorably on the other litigation” he said.
The New York based Centre has filed a lawsuit seeking five Marcos properties in New York valued at 300 million dollars The Centre is also seeking lesser properties in California.
In Today’s Judgment Levy said documents found at Malacanag Palace after Marcos abandoned it on February 25 showed that government funds had been used to purchase and maintain several properties in New Jersey.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 19, 1986
