Imelda wants to go to China

Former First Lady Imelda Marcos asked the Sandiganbayan yesterday to allow her to travel to China for 15 days — from June 9 to 24 — to again consult with a medicine expert in Shanghai regarding her knee problems.

The wife of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos filed separate yet similar motions to travel abroad with the fourth and fifth divisions of the anti-graft court, where her more than 10 graft cases have remain pending for the last 10 years or so.

In a three-page motion, her lawyer Robert Sison said that lately, Mrs. Marcos "is again feeling the same inconvenience brought about by persistent knee pains especially when alighting from a vehicle or standing for a long time."

He said his 74-year-old client had earlier consulted a certain Dr. Yen in Shanghai and the medicines given to her had proven "very effective" in treating her hypertension and diabetes.

"It is for this reason that Mrs. Marcos wishes and seeks permission to travel abroad," Sison said.

Marcos assured the anti-graft court she has no intention of evading prosecution, citing that she had traveled abroad several times before and had always returned to the country in compliance with the conditions imposed by the trial court.

She has expressed willingness to comply again with the conditions the court may impose on her travel request this time, her lawyer said.

Sison stressed that the former first lady was allowed to travel to London, England in November 2003, where she consulted with Dr. David Sweetnam regarding her knee problems.

In June 2004, however, the Sandiganbayan denied Marcos’ travel request to attend the funeral rites of former US President Ronald Reagan, saying she had a history of not keeping her promises to return to the country on time.

"The court has had the sad experience where the accused (Imelda Marcos) did not go back to the country on time leading to the confiscation of her cash deposit to guarantee her timely return from her travel abroad," the fourth division justices said.