Pandora Papers – Is now getting a worldwide attention as it revealed millions of documents exposing offshore accounts of world leaders, criminals and terrorists. More than 300 politicians were listed from over 90 countries according to the source.
In the Philippines, corruption is still the number one problem with money being moved around illegally despite the noise and attention pointing out the Marcos’ loot.
Juan Andres Donato Bautista, for one, has been listed in the Pandora Papers.
He was the chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government from 2010 to 2015, and was also the head of the Philippines’ election.
The political figure created a company in the British Island with a bank account held in Singapore after months of being appointed.
He was later then impeached in 2017 by lawyers when his wife accused him of hoarding millions of undeclared domestic and foreign dollar accounts.
Bautista claimed that the company was established and the bank account was already created before he joined the government, according the ICIJ.
The Philippines has already joined other countries to require the companies to name their real owners and accounts being linked the them. So far, 4 Billion dollars have been recovered from the Marcoses and his cohorts. The money was being used to purchase lands for the poor farmers and pay the families being targeted for murder during the Marcos regime.
The battle has not been easy as law firms, big banks, and powerful groups are strongly opposing these moves.