The Marcos jewels (sometimes also the Imelda jewels) generally refers to the jewelry collection of the Marcos family – most famously that of former First Lady Imelda Marcos. However, it also specifically refers to three collections of jewelry which were recovered by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) in 1986,[1][2] which the Philippine Supreme Court had ruled to be part of the Marcoses' unlawful wealth.[3]
The three collections of jewels sequestered by the PCGG have been come to be called the "Hawaii collection", the "Malacañang collection", and the "Roumeliotes collection".[4][5][6] The "Hawaii collection" refers to a group of jewels seized by the US Bureau of Customs from the Marcoses when they went into exile in Hawaii in 1986. The "Malacañang collection" refers to a group of jewels which were discovered in Malacañang Palace after the Marcoses fled the Philippines. The "Roumeliotes collection" refers to a group of jewels which were confiscated from Demetriou Roumeliotes, said to have been a close associate of Imelda Marcos, after he was caught trying to smuggle them out of the Philippines at Manila International Airport.[7]
In February 2016, the government of the Philippines announced that the three collections had been appraised at ₱1 Billion (about $21 million),[8] and that they would eventually be auctioned off after having been kept unsold by the government for three decades.[9]
- ^ "Marcos jewels used to tackle Philippines corruption". BBC News. March 30, 2016. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ "Philippines says Marcos jewels to remain in government hands". FashionNetwork.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ Limjoco, Diana (July 31, 2015). "The Confiscated Jewels of Imelda Marcos". Rogue Magazine. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
- ^ "Imelda loses jewels in the Marcos crown". The Age. September 17, 2005. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020.
- ^ Mogato, Manuel (January 14, 2014). "Show me the Monet: Philippines seeks return of Marcos paintings". Reuters. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ "Philippines Seeks Return of Marcos Paintings". Voice of America News. January 14, 2014. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ "Marcos ill-gotten jewels worth more than a billion pesos". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. February 12, 2016. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ Perry, Juliet (February 16, 2016). "Philippines to sell Imelda Marcos's 'ill-gotten' jewels, worth millions". CNN. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- ^ "Philippines to sell jewellery confiscated from Imelda Marcos". The Daily Telegraph. February 16, 2016. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2016.