PCGG: Marcos cases now moving faster

The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) lauded as a good sign yesterday the decision of the Sandiganbayan to continue with court proceedings on an P11-billion lawsuit involving the brother-in-law of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

PCGG Commissioner William Dichoso expressed hope that other pending cases against the Marcoses would now move swiftly and be resolved soon.

"It is a good sign that the pending cases are now moving. I hope that the others (cases) would also get a move on so that these cases would be resolved," Dichoso told reporters by telephone.

"This will not benefit us but the Filipino people," he noted.

In an 11-page resolution dated last March 13, the Sandiganbayan junked a motion for reconsideration filed by Tacloban City Mayor Alfredo "Bejo" Romualdez in August 1997 that sought the reversal of a July 10, 1997 resolution denying his motion to dismiss the case.

Civil Case No. 0019 was filed by the PCGG on July 27, 1987 and named couple Armando and Vilma Romualdez, former president Ferdinand Marcos, former first lady Imelda Marcos, Ricardo Quintos and Nelia Gonzales as defendants.

Armando and Alfredo Romualdez are brothers of Mrs. Marcos while Quintos and Gonzales were majority stockholders and directors of companies supposedly created by Armando to conceal and prevent the government from recovering their assets, which allegedly were illegally obtained.

Among the firms mentioned in the lawsuit were Golden Farms Inc., Highway Builders Inc., Dipudo Industries Inc., Maconacon Airways Inc. and Isabela Gas and Power Development Corp.

Government lawyers claimed that by taking advantage of his kinship with the Marcoses, Armando Romualdez was able to secure multimillion-dollar loans and other financial accommodations from government financial institutions such as the Development Bank of the Philippines and National Investment Development Corp.

The government is seeking P10 billion in moral damages and P1 billion in exemplary damages on top of actual, nominal, temperate damages that the court may determine upon the resolution of the case.

It is also seeking forfeiture of 67 parcels of land including six ranches and pasturelands and a 200-hectare beachside property that cuts across three towns of Isabela province, the contents of two bank accounts, six airplanes and a helicopter, a racehorse and 500 heads of cattle.

The pre-trial of the case was held on Nov. 8, 1996.

Alfredo Romualdez filed his motion to dismiss on Feb. 10, 1997 based on alleged lack of evidence and arguing that his constitutional right to a speedy disposition of the case had been denied. He noted that it took over nine years before the case was set for pre-trial.

His argument was overruled as the court held that the determination of sufficiency or insufficiency of evidence would depend on the evidence itself to be submitted by the government.

PCGG Commissioner Nicasio Conti earlier said there were 278 civil cases still pending at the anti-graft court involving Mrs. Marcos and her cronies worth a total of $220 billion. — Sandy Araneta