Waiting For The Marcos Wealth To Be Recovered Is Like Juan Tamad Waiting For The Guava To Fall Down To His Mouth

February is a month that can focus on several events such as Valentine's Day (today) and the upcoming EDSA Revolution. Before you say I'm a Marcos paid hack -- you may notice that I actually criticize the Marcoses too. I'm really amazed at how some people are still insisting on returning the Marcos Wealth. However, such critics of Marcos also LOVE protectionism. What's the use of hating Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. and his crony capitalism when it was also protectionism that granted the tyrant his power in the first place? Crony capitalism caused the OFWs to fly abroad, confiscating businesses and giving them to his allies further strengthened his power, and it was also the reason why the Philippines (UNTIL NOW) couldn't pay back the debts that the Marcoses owed other countries. 

I'm amazed at the obsession with two things. First, it's obsessing about how people wish Marcos never rose into power. Second, it's all about "Ibalik ang ninakaw -- hindi ang magnanakaw!" or "Return what's stolen, not the thief!" There's always the obsession with returning the Marcos Wealth back to the Philippines. I'm not saying that the Marcos Wealth shouldn't be returned. However, shouldn't the Philippines be more concerned about FIXING the damages done AFTER the Marcos Years? I'm not saying EDSA Revolution was wrong. What I'm saying is that continuing protectionist-presidential Philippines after EDSA was what's wrong. Cory Aquino was fitter to be the symbolic Head of State while Fidel V. Ramos should've been the Head of Government and maybe Doy Laurel as the Opposition Leader of the Parliamentary Republic of the Philippines. 

The obsession with the Marcos wealth is really getting nowhere. Until now, it's not recovered. How sure are we that the money in all that Marcos wealth was not consumed? The Marcos Wealth may have been down to zero during the exile of the Marcos family to Hawaii. Imelda Romualdez-Marcos has a very expensive lifestyle. What makes you think that the Marcos Wealth still has billions of pesos in it since it's at the hands of a very extravagant woman? Besides, even if the money is recovered but can it really uplift the Philippine economy? What if the current balance of the Marcoses are all FOREIGN DEBTS which the Philippines will have to pay after seizing it? 

What should've done was to really do an economic charter change. It could've been time to remove the Filipino First Policy by Carlos P. Garcia. It could've been time to do more than just return the companies seized during the Marcos Years. The problem of returning the companies to the rightful owners YET shielding them from foreign competition is no better than crony capitalism. Privatization of services and removing Marcos' welfare state was a good thing. However, protecting the local private sectors from foreign competition made them indirect cronies of the government. It also made them complacent for years. It also meant supply and demand could hardly be met. Filipinos were still flying away from the country conquering the world looking for jobs. Even worse, the Cory Years were hardly progressive either. Cory was an inexperienced housewife who was fitter to be a symbolic Head of State. Ramos should've assumed position as the Prime Minister at that time. Unfortunately, a hasty 1987 Constitution was passed and assumed to be "the best in the world". The result was that the economy slumped down even further while others still wait for the return of the Marcos Wealth when the Marcoses arrived from exile. 

The Philippines should've just decided to open the economy like Vietnam and China did. Vietnam was a victim of the Vietnam War. The Vietnamese communists decided that accepting foreign direct investors (FDIs) would be a great way to make their communist party great. Deng Xiaoping decided that the only way to create a grand communist utopia was to defy Karl Marx and open China for business. Germany didn't obsess over what if Hitler never rose either. Instead, Germany decided to create a free market Germany complete with FEDERALISM and PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM. It could've created an influx of jobs for Filipinos without having to continue being OFWs after the Marcos Years. It could've created more taxable income for the Philippines that will surpass the wealth of the Marcoses. The Marcos Wealth should just be considered what it is -- spilled milk!