Imee grateful of SC junking wealth case; CARMMA laments dismissal

Senator Imee Marcos was “grateful” as the Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of the P1.05 billion alleged ill-gotten wealth forfeiture case against the late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and others, as the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA) slammed the recent SC decision.

“We’re grateful of course for this decision and we are hopeful that justice will not take so long for the rest of our countrymen,” Senator Marcos said in an interview in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental on Thursday.

Meanwhile, in a statement released on Thursday, CARMMA criticized the SC decision as it noted that the cases regarding the Marcoses’ alleged ill-gotten wealth were being dismissed one after another.

“It is deplorable that one after another, the cases regarding the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth, including the recent P1 billion civil forfeiture case decided upon by the Supreme Court, have been dismissed,” CARMMA said.

Apart from the recent SC decision, CARMMA noted the Sandiganbayan’s dismissal of a P600 million civil forfeiture case involving former First Lady Imelda Marcos, incumbent President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and their supposed cronies in June 2023; Sandiganbayan Fifth Division’s dismissal of another civil case against the Marcoses and others concerning more alleged ill-gotten wealth in February 2023; and Sandiganbayan Fourth Division’s dismissal of the lawsuit seeking to recover P200 billion worth of assets and properties in July 2022.

Citing data from the PCGG, CARMMA said at least $6 billion in alleged ill-gotten wealth acquired by the Marcoses had not been recovered. This excludes the Marcoses’ P203 billion estate tax debt.

CARMMA condemned the “emerging pattern and scheme” under the current administration, including the numerous dismissal of the cases, and replacement of former BIR chief Lilia Guillermo after she expressed publicly that all Filipinos including presidents and the Marcoses are accountable for ensuring the payment of estate taxes, and the continuing non-payment of the long overdue estate taxes.

In a decision promulgated on March 29, the SC First Division denied a petition seeking to reverse the Sandiganbayan’s decision that dismissed the complaint against Marcos, Imelda, Bienvenido Tantoco Jr., Bienvenido Tantoco Sr., Gliceria Tantoco, Maria Lourdes Tantoco-Pineda, and Dominador Santiago, for insufficiency of evidence.

In 1987, the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) filed a complaint for reconveyance, reversion, accounting, restitution, and damages against the respondents.

The PCGG sought to forfeit all properties held by the respondents, which were alleged to have been illegally acquired, and for the respondents to pay damages in the amount of P1.05 billion.

However, the Sandiganbayan dismissed the complaint for insufficiency of evidence on September 25, 2019, ruling that the PCGG failed to prove the allegations in its complaint by a preponderance of evidence.

According to the SC, the PCGG made numerous specific allegations of wrongdoing on the part of the respondents but the 11 exhibits presented did not show any connection with the illegal acts stated in the complaint. — DVM, GMA Integrated News