Marcos siblings wash hands of P200-B illegal wealth case

MANILA, Philippines - A lawyer representing the children of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos contested a claim of Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza that his clients remain liable in the P200-billion ill-gotten wealth case against their father.

In a statement sent to The STAR, Robert Sison said the Supreme Court (SC) had absolved of criminal liability in February 2012 Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos and Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., their sister Irene and her husband Gregorio Araneta III in a case pending before the Sandiganbayan.

“The participation of the Marcos heirs in the Civil Case No. 002 is limited only to their supposed possession, ownership or control of allegedly ill-gotten properties,” he said.

“Assuming that properties are proven to be ill-gotten in the course of hearing, there is no liability – personal or otherwise – to the heirs, at most, it will only affect their shares in the Marcos estate,” Sison added.

He also rebutted a statement of SC spokesman Theodore Te denying reports that his clients were already cleared.

Te said to say that the Marcos children have been cleared was “misleading” since the SC ruling stated that they “shall be maintained as defendants in Civil Case No. 0002 pending before the Sandiganbayan.”

However, Sison said Te’s claims are not accurate since the SC stated that Imee and Bongbong’s “involvement in the alleged illegal activities was never established.”

The SC also dismissed the case filed against Irene and her husband due to lack of testimonial or documentary evidence.

In affirming the anti-graft court, the SC said it was correct in dismissing the complaint against the Marcos siblings because prosecutors failed to comply with Rule 130, Section 3 of the Rules of Court that the evidence must itself be the original document.

Among the original documents that the prosecutors failed to submit was the transcript of stenographic notes of the proceedings at the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).

The SC said the lapse in handling the case against the Marcoses raises serious doubts on the level and quality of effort given to the government’s cause.

“Thus, we highly encourage the Office of the President, the OSG, and the PCGG to conduct the appropriate investigation and consequent action on this matter,” read the SC decision.