President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and family pose for photos during his inauguration as the 17th President of the Philippines at the National Museum on June 30, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is "not expecting anything" that the issue of the Marcos family's swiss bank accounts will be revived when President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr visits Switzerland next week.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Carlos Sorreta said no legal mechanisms "have been triggered" during the President's participation for the 2023 World Economic Forum in Davos regarding this.
"Mayroon tayong malinaw na framework for legal cooperation with Switzerland, nag-negotiate po tayo ng mga agreements for cooperation on legal matters including even iyong mga matters that may relate to this issue that you are referring to," Sorreta told reporters when asked if they are anticipating the issue to be brought up by the public.
"None of those mechanisms have been triggered, whether the Swiss government or anything so we don’t know, and we don’t expect anything. I don’t think it’s an issue," he added.
The official distanced himself when pressed further if there was a possibility the President may withdraw from his family's Swiss bank accounts, as speculated by the public.
Marcos will be in Davos for the WEF from Jan. 15 to 20, said the DFA.
In 2018, the Sandiganbayan 5th Division found President Marcos' mother, former First Lady and Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Romualdez Marcos, guilty in 7 counts of graft for using her Cabinet position to maintain Swiss bank accounts during the Marcos regime.
Marcos' graft cases stemmed from complaints filed in 1991 when prosecutors alleged that the Marcos family channeled public funds into their personal accounts overseas.
The former first lady served as the Minister of Human Settlements and was a member of the Interim Batasan Pambansa during her husband's presidency and dictatorship from 1965 to 1986.