THE Fourth Division of the Sandiganbayan has dismissed a P200-billion forfeiture case against the Marcos family for lack of sufficient evidence.
This is the fourth time this year that the Marcos family won a civil case filed against them.
In its 58-page decision, the Sandiganbayan dismissed the forfeiture case and cited as basis the inability of the prosecution to prove the allegations against the Marcoses.
“Wherefore, premises considered, for failure of the plaintiff to prove its allegations by preponderance of evidence, the subject complaint filed against defendants Estate of Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda R. Marcos…is hearby dismissed,” the anti-graft court said.
According to the court, the bulk of the documentary evidence offered by the plaintiff are mere photocopies, most of which are barely readable.
The forfeiture case was filed by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) against the Marcos couple, Sen. Imee Marcos, Irene Marcos, former Sen. Bongbong Marcos and Constante Rubio involving P976 million in bank deposits at the Security Bank and Trust Co., P711 million in bank deposits at the Traders Royal Bank, an P18-million residential property in Leyte, a P33-million agricultural land in Leyte, P1.6 billion in shares of stock in PLDT, $292 million in foreign bank deposits, $98 million in investments in foreign banks, 177 paintings, pieces of jewelry worth $8.9 million, P236 million worth of jewelry intercepted at the Honolulu Airport, and P14 million worth of items found in Malacañang when the Marcoses fled for Hawaii.
“On a final note, the Court acknowledges the atrocities committed during martial law under the Marcos regime and the ‘plunder’ committed on the country’s resources. However, absent sufficient evidence that may lead to the conclusion that the subject properties were indeed ill-gotten by the Marcoses,” the court added.
In August, the Sandiganbayan also dismissed a P102-billion ill-gotten wealth case filed in 1987 against the late President and his wife, as well as their 11 cronies after the prosecution’s failure to present evidence against them.
In October, the anti-graft court junked the P1.052-billion ill-gotten wealth case filed in 1989 against Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. and the Marcos couple in connection with 11 real-estate properties.
In October, the Sandiganbayan dismissed a P267-million ill-gotten case against the Marcos couple for insufficiency of evidence.
This month, however, the prosecution won its civil case against the Marcoses involving P2.95-billion shares in Eastern Telecommunication Philippines Inc.
Image credits: AP/Aaron Favila