President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said he has not been responding to the lawsuits aimed at retrieving the alleged ill-gotten wealth amassed by his family during the term of his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

During the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines’ presidential forum, Marcos said he was leaving the cases regarding his family’s ill-gotten wealth to the lawyers to discuss.

“It’s hard for me to answer. I really haven’t looked at it in years. I advise talking to the lawyers,” he said.

The Supreme Court in 2014 upheld the government’s ownership of the $40-million Arelma fund which was deposited with Merrill Lynch Securities in New York in 1972.

The fund, initially valued at $2 million, were alleged assets of Marcos Sr. deposited under the name of Arelma Foundation, a Panamanian company.

When discovered by the Presidential Commission on Good Government in 2000, the fund had grown to $35 million.

Marcos stood firm in his refusal to apologize for what his family had done in the past, brushing off the notion of an apology as being his responsibility.

“It’s not a duty of a president to be involved in personal matters,” Marcos said.

Despite being reminded of his familial ties to the Marcos legacy, he emphasized the primacy of his role as a leader over that of a family member.

“As President, my focus is on serving the nation. My priority lies in the duties and responsibilities entrusted to me by the people,” he said.

Last March, Marcos refuted allegations his father had embezzled billions in public funds throughout his 20-year tenure.