Marcoses could have ‘lost’ Picasso

A possible ‘‘lost’’ Picasso has been spotted in the home of Imelda Marcos, the controversial former first lady of the Philippines, during a visit by her son, the president-elect.

A painting resembling Reclining Woman VI was seen hanging above a sofa in footage released by the Marcos family, who ruled the country before being ousted by a popular uprising in 1986. They were accused of plundering billions of dollars from the state.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr, known as Bongbong, visited his mother, Imelda, after his election victory this month.

The Picasso was listed in 2014 as having been seized by Philippine authorities, though an official has since said it was suspected to have been fake.

The recently surfaced version may also be bogus, according to a former commissioner for the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), an agency established by the Philippines to recover the Marcoses’ siphoned wealth.

‘‘Maybe these are two different replicas, which is not unusual for Imelda,’’ Ruben Carranza said. ‘‘I was told some time ago that she also had glue-based fakes of jewellery made. She lent fake paintings to a Manila museum during the dictatorship, pretending they were originals and expensive.’’

As president, Marcos Jr will have the authority to appoint the commissioners of the PCGG. He has defended his family against allegations of corruption, insisting that their fortune was obtained by legitimate means.