Imelda skips Sandigan hearing on forfeiture case vs Lucio Tan

MANILA, Philippines - Former First Lady Imelda Marcos for the fourth time skipped the hearing being conducted by the Sandiganbayan in connection with the forfeiture case against the assets of business tycoon Lucio Tan. Lawyer Catalino Generillo Jr of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which requested Marcos’ presence on the witness stand, blamed her absence on court sheriffs, saying “the subpoena was not served properly.” PCGG wants to present Marcos as a “adverse witness” to prove her claim that Tan merely held in trust for President Marcos 60 percent of his interests in Foremost Farms, Silangan Holdings Inc., Asia Brewey, Fortune Tobacco, Himmel Industries and Granspan Development Corporation. A close aide said the Marcos widow is in Baguio City to grace a social engagement and was unaware that she had been summoned to appear before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division. Generillo said the government has secured a fifth subpoena for Marcos for the hearing on September 11 but Associate Justice Ma. Cristina Cortez-Estrada, division chair, pointed out that the said date falls on the birthday of former President Ferdinand Marcos. “It is very likely that she will not be able to come,” Estrada said. If the Marcos claim is affirmed by the court, government lawyers then intend to invoke the Supreme Court pronouncement that the total lawful income of the Marcoses from 1966 to 1985 was only P2,319,583.33 ($304,372.43). Any figure beyond said amount is supposedly property of the State for being “grossly disproportionate” to the legitimate assets of the Marcos family, Generillo said. To make up for Marcos’ absence, government lawyers submitted in court the transcript of her statements in a 1998 interview by journalist Christine Herrera wherein the former First Lady explained the arrangement between Tan and her late husband. Estelito Mendoza, counsel for Tan, argued that the transcripts are simply hearsay if Marcos will not take the witness stand to be cross-examined on her assertions. Former Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos, eldest of the three Marcos children, also failed to show up although she was also subpoenaed for Monday’s hearing. The younger Marcos was reportedly out of the country. - GMANews.TV