Imelda Marcos said for the first time Monday the basis of her late husband's wealth was Japanese and other gold the former president found starting at the end of World War II.
The former first lady said President Ferdinand Marcos kept the fortune secret because "the amounts were such astronomical proportion that it would be embarrassing."The government of President Corazon Aquino says Marcos built a secret fortune on embezzlement and kickbacks during his 20-year rule.
There was no government comment on the claim of Marcos, who is running for president in May elections while at the same time fighting 50 criminal charges in connection with alleged ill-gotten wealth.
Marcos was ousted in the 1986 military-civilian uprising that installed Aquino in office. He died in exile in Hawaii in 1989.
"Transaction of precious metal was very secret and confidential," Marcos told reporters. She said Marcos refused to put the gold in the bank or reveal its existence because it would have hurt his chances to be elected president in the 1965 campaign.