Sandiganbayan finds Imelda Marcos guilty of graft

The Sandiganbayan has granted the request of Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos to post bail and file post-conviction remedies, which include elevating her graft conviction to the Supreme Court.

Imelda Marcos and her children Imee and Bongbong refuse to answer media queries on the Sandiganbayan's finding that they benefited from the money traced in the private Swiss foundations used to funnel ill-gotten wealth.

Mrs. Marcos and her children Imee and Bongbong refused to answer media queries on the Sandiganbayan's finding that they benefitted from the money traced in the private Swiss foundations @PhilippineStar pic.twitter.com/OX7NYqUC1j

— Elizabeth T. Marcelo (@marcelo_beth) November 16, 2018

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Associate Justice Lagos also grilled Imelda Marcos over the sudden change of her reasons for failing to attend the promulgation. Marcos initially claimed that she failed to attend the proceeding because she was "indisposed" due to "multiple organ infirmities."

In a sworn affidavit submitted to the court yesterday, however, Mrs. Marcos claimed that she failed to attend the promulgation as she was not aware of it. — Elizabeth Marcelo

Imelda Marcos was confronted by Sandiganbayan 5th Division chairman Associate Justice Lagos about attending her daughter Imee's birthday party on the night after she was convicted. She said Imee was "crying and begging" her to attend the party. — Elizabeth Marcelo

Imelda Marcos said during her testimony that she only learned of the Sandiganbayan's promulgation on her graft cases on Friday last week upon watching news reports on TV. She said she woke up late last Friday as she was feeling ill. — Elizabeth Marcelo

Imelda Marcos testified during the hearing that she did not now that her cases were set for promulgation on Friday last week. Imelda said the notice of promulgation was received by her cook, who placed it in the office of her secretary who was on leave. 

"If I knew about it, your honor, I would have been here. Even if I was sick, I would have come here," she said. — Elizabeth Marcelo

Sandiganbayan 5th Division chairman Associate Justice Rafael Lagos clarifies that Imelda Marcos' P150,000 bail is just for her temporary liberty. The court has yet to decide on whether she will be allowed to post a post-conviction bond and to appeal her conviction. 

Sandigan 5th Div chairman Associate Justice Rafael Lagos clarifies that Mrs. Marcos' P150,000 bail bond is just for her temporary liberty while court is yet to decide on whether she will be allowed to post a post-conviction bond and to file an MR on her conviction @PhilippineStar

— Elizabeth T. Marcelo (@marcelo_beth) November 16, 2018

Mrs. Marcos is ordered to remain inside the courtroom while her P150,000 bail bond is being processed at the Sandigan Cashier's Office @PhilippineStar pic.twitter.com/Sla94xg19d

— Elizabeth T. Marcelo (@marcelo_beth) November 16, 2018

The Sandiganbayan 5th Division allows Imelda Marcos to post P150,000 bail for her provisional liberty. She was convicted of 7 counts of graft over ill-gotten wealth acquired during the regime of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. 

The court has yet to decide if she will be allowed to appeal her conviction.

Sandigan 5th Div. allows Rep. Imelda Marcos to post P150,000 bail bond for her provisional liberty following her conviction on 7 counts of graft; court allows her to post bail while it has yet to decide on whether she will be allowed to appeal her conviction @PhilippineStar

— Elizabeth T. Marcelo (@marcelo_beth) November 16, 2018

Imelda Marcos also seeks the issuance of a warrant of arrest against her to be postponed.

Sandiganbayan 5th Div is set to hear today Mrs. Marcos' motion to avail of post-conviction remedies w/ prayers for deferment of issuance of warrant of arrest and to be allowed to post another bail bond @PhilippineStar

— Elizabeth T. Marcelo (@marcelo_beth) November 16, 2018

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Activists and Martial Law victims are protesting in front of the anti-graft court decrying for justice and slamming what they called as "preferential treatment" to the Marcoses. The warrant of arrest against Imelda Marcos, who was convicted of seven counts of graft over ill-gotten wealth during the regime of her husband, dictator Ferdinand Marcos, has yet to be signed.

Supporters of the Marcoses chanting "Marcos pa rin!" are also assembled in front of Sandiganbayan.

Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos arrives at the Sandiganbayan for the hearing on her appeal to be granted bail. 

The anti-graft court has forfeited her bail due to her "unjustified" absence during the promulgation of judgment on her graft case.

Rep. Imelda Marcos arrives at Sandiganbayan to explain her absence on the promulgation of the decision on her graft cases Friday last week; she is accompanied by her grandson Borgy Manotoc @PhilippineStar pic.twitter.com/1fdv5tderh

— Elizabeth T. Marcelo (@marcelo_beth) November 16, 2018

Also accompanying Mrs. Marcos are her children, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos & former senator Bongbong Marcos @PhilippineStar pic.twitter.com/MFUPZgxOKs

— Elizabeth T. Marcelo (@marcelo_beth) November 16, 2018

The Sandiganbayan also orders that a warrant of arrest be issued against Imelda Marcos. Here is a copy of the order signed last Friday and released to the media today.

LOOK: Sandiganbayan order to forfeit bail bonds of Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos due to her and her legal counsel's "unjustified" absence at the promulgation of judgment on her graft case over the ill-gotten wealth during the regime of her husband, dictator Ferdinand Marcos. pic.twitter.com/SgvZFelaxM

— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) November 13, 2018

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division orders the bail bonds to be posted by Imelda Marcos for the cases she was convicted of forfeited due to her and her counsel's "unjustified" absence during the judgment of the cases.

The order which was signed on Friday, November 9, was released to media on Tuesday, November 13.

A group of Martial Law victims says the PNP's refusal to arrest former first lady and current Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos is a "glaring indication of double standard."

In a press briefing on Monday morning, PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said they have to consider Marcos' health and age when they arrest her.

"The stream of excuses continued as Albayalde points to Imelda's age and health, citing humanitarian considerations, even as the criminal was spotted partying the night after her conviction was made public," Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law says.

"Sensitivity is not in the PNP's standard operating procedure. Their refusal to arrest Imelda, thus, point to one thing: double standard," CARMMA adds.

The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) congratulates the Office of the Ombudsman for securing the conviction of Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos.

"We understand that the accused still has available legal remedies and we recognize her right to pursue them in the proper forum," the PCGG said in a statement.

The government body established to go after the hidden wealth of the Marcos family said would continue to work with the Office of the Ombudsman in performing its mandate. — Patricia Lourdes Viray

Presidential spokesperson and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo says the possibility that President Rodrigo Duterte would grant pardon to former first lady and Rep. Imelda Marcos (Ilocos Norte, 2nd District) is speculative and premature.

Panelo also clarified that the pardon could only be issued following final conviction.

“It is not so in the case of Congresswoman Marcos, the decision of the anti-graft court not having attained finality. Her lawyers have stated the she will avail of legal remedies available to her to reverse the decision from the same court or higher courts,” Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo said “as a matter of course and policy, the president like his predecessors, weighs in all factors before exercising his right to grant clemencies.”

On Friday, the Sandiganbayan ruled that Marcos is guilty of seven counts of graft for using her Cabinet position to maintain Swiss bank accounts during the Marcos regime.

She is sentenced to imprisonment of six years and one month to 11 years for each count with perpetual disqualification from public office.

Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos says her legal counsel is studying the decision of anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.

"Justice Lolong Lazaro, who has previously appeared as counsel in this case, will act as my counsel in the interim.  He is presently studying the decision and has advised us that he intends to file a Motion for Reconsideration," Marcos said in a statement.

Rights group Karapatan and labor group Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino say they laud the Sandiganbayan decision but raised concern that President Rodrigo Duterte may grant Imelda Marcos a pardon for the seven counts of graft she was found guilty of committing.

"We are also ambivalent on the implementation of such a ruling based on two issues: 1) the current regime’s coddling and political rehabilitation of the Marcoses and 2) the machinations of the Marcoses to evade accountability," Karapatan says in a statement.

BMP adds that given the many presidential decisions that have favored the Marcos family, "the propensity of this administration is to pardon her at the soonest possible time and will cite old age as a reason for the clemency."

Karapatan calls out for the immediate arrest and imprisonment of Marcos and the return of the billions of public funds stolen by the Marcoses.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Liberal Party president, welcomes the Sandiganbayan decision finding the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos' widow, Imelda, guilty beyond reasonable doubt of graft and her perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

Imelda is running for governor of Ilocos Norte in next year's polls.

"The Sandiganbayan conviction is a faithful reminder that the Marcoses have plundered the nation's wealth and have stolen from the people, no matter how much efforts to revise history are done by the Marcos family and their cohorts," Pangilinan says.

"We hope our courts will see this through conviction and give no special treatment to Mrs. Marcos."

The Sandiganbayan 5th Division finds former first lady and current Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos guilty of seven counts of graft for using her Cabinet position to maintain Swiss bank accounts during the Marcos regime.

She is sentenced to imprisonment of six years and one month to 11 years for each count with perpetual disqualification from public office.

The decision came nearly three decades since it was filed in 1991 by the Office of the Ombudsman.