Sandiganbayan to seize 3 Marcos properties

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan’s fifth division has moved to seize the three properties of the Marcos family in San Juan City to reimburse the government for funds secretly transferred by the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos to a private account.

In a “notice of levy upon realty” issued to the San Juan registry of deeds, Sandigabayan’s sheriff and security division chief judicial officer Albert de la Cruz said “by virtue of the alias of writ of execution issued in this case, rights and participation which the defendant Imelda Marcos may have in the realties are hereby levied.”

The properties covered by the notice are located at the corner of P. Guevarra and Maude streets (864 square meters), along Don Mariano Marcos (1,584 square meters) and Claro M. Recto streets.

The writs arose from a Sandiganbayan decision last Sept. 9, 2010 that ordered Imelda to reimburse the government the P10 million National Food Authority funds secretly transferred by her late husband to a private account in 1983.

She was also ordered to pay 28 years worth of interest on the principal amount with additional penalties of P1 million in moral damages; P500,000 exemplary damages; P250,000 nominal damages; and P200,000 attorney’s fees. The Sandiganbayan said the interest amounted to P33.8 million.

It was on Sept. 21, when the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) legal office was informed that an alias of writ of execution has been issued against the properties of the Marcoses.

The following day, De la Cruz and Sheriff Honofre Tejada Jr. proceeded to the House of Representatives to serve Marcos a copy of the document and demand from her the immediate full payment. Imelda’s staff said the lawmaker is in Ilocos Norte.

In coordination with PCGG Commissioner Gerald Mosquera, the court officers filed a notice of levy on the three lots with the Registry of Deeds of San Juan City last Oct. 13. They were however, told that only the largest of the three properties is covered by the city registry. The other two will have to be verified with the Registry of Deeds of Mandaluyong City.