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Philippines recovers eight paintings, including a Picasso, from Marcos family

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Philippine authorities recovered on Tuesday more than a dozen paintings, including a work by Pablo Picasso, from an office and residences of lawmaker Imelda Marcos, a day after an anti-corruption court ordered their seizure.

The court ordered the family of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos surrender eight paintings by famous European artists, including Femme Couch VI by Picasso, Madonna and Child by Michelangelo, Portrait of the Marquesa de Santa Cruz by Francisco de Goya and Still Life with Idol by Paul Gauguin, reported the Inquirer. 


Portrait of the Marquesa de Santa Cruz by Francisco de Goya. IMAGE: Wikiart

The court declared they had been illegally acquired with public funds.

The Philippines has estimated that Marcos, his family, and cronies amassed more than US$10 billion (S$12.8 billion) in cash, jewelry, assets, stocks and works of art during a 20-year rule.

About half of this amount has been found and recovered.

“I am not sure if we found all eight paintings that the court is looking for, but, I am sure the Picasso is one of them,” said Paul Lentejas, a counsel at the state agency tasked to recover the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family.

Sources: Reuters, Inquirer

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