The World : Marcos Settlement Sought

Philippine President Corazon Aquino has sent a senior adviser to New York to talk with lawyers for deposed President Ferdinand E. Marcos about settling claims that he stole huge sums from the island nation. She said Mateo Caparas will attempt to verify Manila newspaper reports that Marcos “sincerely wants to discuss a settlement” of demands for the return of up to $10 billion that he is alleged to have stolen during his 20 years in office. Caparas is chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government. Marcos, 71, who has been hospitalized since Jan. 15 with pneumonia and bronchial asthma, and his wife, Imelda, are living in exile in Hawaii. They face a trial in federal court in New York on fraud and racketeering charges.