“A sad reality.”

Thus said Malacañang, referring to the decaying of  mansions and other properties of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos due to lack of state funds for their maintenance.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government’s priority now for these Marcos properties is to ensure that the land on which they stand does not depreciate in value.

“Unfortunately that’s the sad reality we have to deal with. Hindi laging may pera, nagba-budget tayo nang maayos. We see to it ano ang priorities, programs like sa poverty alleviation and uplifting the quality of  life of fellow citizens, doon napupunta like health care and education,” Valte said.

Earlier reports quoted a Presidential Commission on Good  Government (PCGG) official as saying many sequestered Marcos properties are rotting due to lack of funds to maintain them.

PCGG Commissioner Ma. Ngina Chan-Gonzaga said the properties can still command high prices as they are located in prime locations in the city.

Valte said that while the structures are deteriorating, it is  important for the government to make sure the value of the land on which the structures stand does not depreciate.

“Kahit mismong structure, siguro [nagde-]deteriorate at normally nangyayari pag nag-depreciate ang value ng building, importante naroon ang lupa, which I think kung ibabase natin statements, malaki ang value... Nag-a-appreciate ang value ng lupa as opposed to structure itself,” she said.

PCGG  earlier claimed some of the properties had already been looted and were poorly maintained when the agency took over.

The PCGG also said the Government Privatization Council (GPC) has approved the plan for the selling of the properties through sealed public bidding.

But bidding of some properties needed GPC’s approval and the final consent of President Benigno Aquino III before they could be privatized.