American Notes Luxury

When deposed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, his wife Imelda and 88 members of their entourage abandoned their palace in Manila and Imelda's 3,000 pairs of shoes last February, they braced for some cutbacks in their conspicuous consumption. But, in fact, in one month the exiled Marcos & Co. ran up personal expenses of $207,000 on U.S. bases in Guam and Hawaii, says a House Armed Services subcommittee. That bought, among other items, $2,552 worth of shoes, which were not for Imelda but for others in the party. Other tabs: $19,971 for long-distance calls, $18,952 for clothing (including 3,500 for men's socks, belts, underwear) and $10,555 for toothpaste, soap, beauty aids. Hoping to spare U.S. taxpayers such outlays, the subcommittee urged that the U.S. Government--which spent $450,813 to transport Marcos and the others to "safe haven"--demand reimbursement for the personal bills.