Thread: Imelda Marcos found guilty of graft, faces arrest

MANILA - The Sandiganbayan 5th Division on Friday found former First Lady and Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Romualdez Marcos guilty in 7 counts of graft for using her Cabinet position to maintain Swiss bank accounts during the Marcos regime.


Mrs. Marcos served as the Minister of Human Settlements and was a member of the Interim Batasan Pambansa during her husband's presidency and dictatorship from 1965 to 1986.



Swiss connection


Marcos' graft cases stemmed from complaints filed in 1991 when prosecutors alleged that the Marcos family channeled public funds into their personal accounts overseas.


"Mayroong 7 Swiss foundations that were created by the Marcoses," Assistant Special Prosecutor Ryan Rey Quilala told reporters.


(There are 7 Swiss foundations that were created by the Marcoses.)


"These 7 Swiss foundations, connected sa isa't isa. Doon pumapasok yung foreign currencies, and then they will close one tapos ita-transfer nila doon sa isa," he said.


(These 7 Swiss foundations are connected. Foreign currencies were deposited into those foundation. They would close one account and transfer the funds to the others.)


With her conviction, Marcos is sentenced to imprisonment of 6 years and 1 month to 11 years for each of the 7 counts, with perpetual disqualification from public office.


The court also ordered for the issuance of arrest warrants against the 89-year old lawmaker.


Neither Marcos nor her counsel was present in the courtroom when the dispositive portion of the verdict was read by the clerk of court.


The court gave Marcos and her counsel 30 days to explain their absence during the promulgation.




Election disqualification?


Marcos is on her last term as Ilocos Norte representative, but filed a certificate of candidacy for the province's gubernatorial race in 2019.


Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Marcos can still avail of other remedies, including asking the Supreme Court for a reversal of the conviction.


"The law says if there is no final conviction, you can still run," Panelo told ANC's Dateline Philippines.


"There are so many candidates, prior to this coming election, who ran even if they have convictions which were not yet final," he said.


Last year, President Rodrigo Duterte said Mrs. Marcos offered to return a portion of their ill-gotten wealth.


"The Marcoses sabi nila they will open everything and probably return maybe yung nakita lang," Duterte said in a speech delivered at the Malacañang.

"Sabi nila, 'We are ready to open and bring back pati a few gold bars.' Sabi nila, 'It's just a few but sabi nila isauli nila,'" the president said.

The Marcos family’s ill-gotten wealth “is estimated between US$5 billion to US$10 billion, the bulk of it being deposited and hidden abroad,” according to the the Philippine Commission on Good Government (PCGG).


The government has recovered a total of P170 billion in the past 30 years.


https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/09/...uilty-of-graft

A pretty speedy resolution?

Nothing will happen. She'll appeal. It will drag on until after her death.

Exactly. She will never see the inside of a goal. And probably still run in 2019 elections. .......And probably get elected to. History has a habit of repeating itself inthe p.i

Katie for president

^yes, unfortunately I agree with Davis & BLD. There are educated Filipinos, but unfortunately they are outnumbered by the poor, uneducated masses who are easily swayed with a few $$$ and promises. Just look - Erap Estrada is mayor of Manila and Gloria Arroyo is speaker of the House. Sheesh! .....

^Add Gringo Honassan to that list KT. I remember at one time he was the most wanted man (dead or alive) in the Philippines but he's done ok for himself since then .

Erap was hilarious. But unfortunately didnt have the brain power to lead a diverse country/ archeapelago such as the philippines. Filipinos knew him from his Tagalog movie star days and hence he was popular. It would be a bit like aussies voting for paul hogan coz they liked the crocodile dundee movie. But having said that paul might of been good. Erap certainly done nothing for the economy. Having witnessed the marcos admin and several there after i think Ramos was the best guy you had but problem was he was already in his 80,s not being disrespectful katie. I love the phillipines you know that. I just wish folks would vote rationaly and not emotionaly.
Maybe you guys need a lee kuan yu style of pres. Du dirty guy im sorry to to say isjust another gangster

Originally Posted by Headworx

^Add Gringo Honassan to that list KT. I remember at one time he was the most wanted man (dead or alive) in the Philippines but he's done ok for himself since then .

I recall they had him ona prison ship in manila bay on treason charges. He promptly escaped. Look at him now

I was a frequent visitor to the philippines from about the age of 18 to about 40 years old . Worked for a miningcompany for a few years toI still go back for visits to see friends both filipino and farang. Still love t that country. I often wonder what life would be like now if i fell in love with a filipina instead of a Lao bird? Great women and great people for sure. Damn shame D politics is messy. Headworx will know what im banging on about. Met him there to

Originally Posted by katie23

uneducated masses who are easily swayed with a few pairs of shoes and promises.

FTFY.

It will be different when Manny runs for President.




















(I'm joking)

@BLD & headworx - no offense taken, and yeah, I know both your history ( sabang's too) re: the PI. Even I don't like the state of PI politics, or even the traffic, which just seems to get worse!

If Manny Pacquiao runs for prez, he will probably win! Give him a few more years though - he needs to be in his late 40s or 50s. Heh...

Originally Posted by beerlaodrinker

Katie for president

Seconded, campaign around hiking and banning hate.

Originally Posted by katie23

^yes, unfortunately I agree with Davis & BLD. There are educated Filipinos, but unfortunately they are outnumbered by the poor, uneducated masses who are easily swayed with a few $$$ and promises. Just look - Erap Estrada is mayor of Manila and Gloria Arroyo is speaker of the House. Sheesh! .....

And Andal in Batangas, probably dead by now and hopefully it was slow and painful. Ptooh!

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

It will be different when Manny runs for President.


(I'm joking)

Wonder how many pairs of shoes Jinkee wants.?

Sentenced to 77 years in the clink. Won't serve a day.

Philippine Police Await Arrest Warrant for Former First Lady Imelda Marcos

Philippine authorities said Monday they would not yet arrest convicted former First Lady Imelda Marcos, despite a court convicting her of large-scale graft punishable by more than 40 years in prison.


National police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde told reporters that officials would first consider the health of the 89-year-old Marcos matriarch, who was convicted of creating false Swiss bank accounts to hide millions in dollars plundered from state coffers.


“We have to take into consideration her advanced age. In any arrest (of) anybody for that matter, that has to be taken (into) consideration, the age, the health,” Albayalde said, referring to Imelda Marcos.

His statement came as many Filipinos, including rights victims who suffered under the brutal two-decade regime of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, waited to see whether the flamboyant ex-first lady would be booked and taken to jail.


Albayalde said he had asked the head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to be ready to serve the warrant once released. As of early evening Monday, however, it appeared that Marcos would not be arrested, three days after the graft court Sandiganbayan handed down the sentence.


While the case is bailable and can be appealed, legal experts have argued that under the law, Marcos should be arrested and booked first.


But the Marcoses are known to be close to President Rodrigo Duterte, a self-confessed fan of the late dictator who has credited his 2016 win partly on the clan's political support.


Pictures of Mrs. Marcos with the president's daughter at a birthday party circulated on social media.

The Marcos family had issued a statement that she would appeal the case.



In stark contrast with Trillanes’ case


The police’s light-handed approach on the Marcos matriarch was in stark contrast to how they had recently treated Sen. Antonio Trillanes, whose criticism of Duterte’s deadly drug war had angered the president.


Duterte had issued a proclamation revoking an amnesty granted to Trillanes, who led failed rebellions against the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. But Duterte’s order to arrest Trillanes backfired because the courts did not side with him.


“For Trillanes, it was just a pre-emptive measure in case that something really comes out. For this, we are not seeing any possible problems because, first of all, she is old, and a woman,” Albayalde said, explaining why Marcos was not a flight risk.


Rights group Karapatan slammed Albayalde’s statement, noting that it had documented many cases of elderly and sickly political detainees in the country.


“Imelda and the Marcos family should be jailed,” Karapatan said in a statement. “They continue to be the face of impunity in the country, coddled by this equally-murderous and vindictive regime. The Duterte government is just as accountable for allowing these parasites to return to power.”


Duterte’s spokesman, Salvador Panelo, said the anti-graft court's decision was not yet final and Marcos could pursue legal actions to counter the ruling, which he had earlier described as proof that the justice system worked in the country.


But opposition politicians urged the police to make the arrest.


“She cannot avail of the probation law because the penalty carried by her case is more than six years,” former Rep. Neri Colmenares told reporters.


Another lawmaker, Carlos Zarate, said the court’s decision put "to rest the Marcos family’s contention that they have not amassed ill-gotten wealth nor plundered the country’s coffers during their reign.”


“Many would be happy with this decision but it would be better if the Marcoses also return all their ill-gotten wealth to the Filipino people,” he said.

Imelda Marcos and her children were allowed to return to the Philippines after Ferdinand Marcos died in exile in 1989, three years after he was toppled by a “people power” revolution.

She led the family in regaining lost political clout and is the outgoing congresswoman in the northern province of Ilocos Norte, where daughter Imee is the outgoing governor.


Imee is running to take over her mother’s Senate seat and Imelda is looking to replace her as governor in next year’s polls. Meanwhile Imee's brother, Ferdinand Jr., is contesting the vice presidency he narrowly lost two years ago.


Thousands went missing or were killed during Marcos’ two-decade regime, and anti-graft investigators had accused the family raiding state coffers of up to $10 billion.


The discovery of some 3,000 pairs of shoes left behind at the basement of Imelda’s bedroom provided a jarring reminder of the opulence and extravagance of the Marcos family, while millions of Filipinos went hungry under the bankrupt government.



https://www.benarnews.org/english/ne...018091552.html

They should've waited until she's too old to be jailed.

Philippine Court Grants Imelda Marcos Bail despite Graft Conviction

A Philippine anti-graft court on Friday allowed former first lady Imelda Marcos to post bail following her conviction for corruption, angering rights groups and victims of her husband’s brutal regime who wanted her incarcerated at once.


The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court last week convicted Marcos, who skipped a hearing when the verdict was announced, of stashing about U.S. $200 million (10.5 billion pesos) in stolen money through Swiss foundations when she was governor of metropolitan Manila in the 1970s. The 89-year-old was ordered to serve a minimum of six years in prison for seven counts of graft.


On Friday, the court allowed Marcos to post a bail of 150,000 pesos ($2,830) to explore post-conviction remedies.
Marcos, who wore a pink jacket over a black blouse, was accompanied by daughter Imee Marcos and son Ferdinand Jr. to the jam-packed court.


Presiding Judge Rafael Lagos asked about her absence last week, commenting that Mrs. Marcos was able to attend her daughter’s birthday party on the same day as the verdict.


Pictures from the party showing Imelda Marcos with Sara Duterte, the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, circulated on social media and raised concerns that the family enjoyed the protection of the president.


Imelda Marcos gave conflicting answers, saying that “all the guests were already there” for the party after initially saying she had a doctor’s order to skip last week’s verdict.


Marcos presented a medical certification issued by her physician that said she suffered from ailments including respiratory and urinary tract infections. But she also said her cook had misplaced the court summons.


“If I knew about it your honor, I would have been right here right away,” Imelda Marcos said. “Even if I was sick, I would have come.”


Rights victims and anti-Marcos activists rejoiced after last week’s verdict, but many were disappointed that a full week passed and she remained free. The country’s national police chief recently commented that Imelda Marcos should be treated lightly because of her health.



Victims react


Etta Rosales, the former chief of the country’s Commission on Human Rights who was tortured and raped by Marcos forces in the 1970s, said she was disappointed by the court’s decision.


“It granted bail for Marcos pending the study of a post-conviction bail for her?” Rosales told BenarNews. “This sounds highly irregular. Is the court going through undue pressure for the Marcos family?”


She said sending Imelda Marcos to prison for monumental graft committed during her husband’s two-decade rule was long overdue.


“This is getting really tiresome. I feel that we should stick to the basics and not get bogged down by the lies they fabricate to reflect their arrogance and attitude toward this ruling,” she said. “They seem so cock-sure nothing will materialize from the decision.”


A group of rights victims who suffered under Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship, the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law, questioned the court’s actions.


“The series of events involving the conviction and the delay of her arrest are indicative of a climate of impunity that is complicit to the crimes of criminal masterminds in the government,” it said.


The group said it was enraged at how the family enjoy political patronage while the country, particularly those who suffered immensely under the dictatorship “continue to fight tooth and nail for justice and accountability.”


“Imelda Marcos and her entire family are plunderers and criminals. The Sandiganbayan conviction adds to the long list of evidence that proves the culpability of the Marcoses,” the group said.


Prolonged delays to haul Imelda Marcos to jail were “indicative of their deliberate protection of a criminal,” it said, referring to the government and the police.


The ruling last week also disqualified Imelda Marcos from holding public office, but it did not automatically bar her from her post as representing the family’s northern stronghold of Ilocos Norte in the House of Representatives.



Duterte support


Duterte, who openly admires the late Ferdinand Marcos, has publicly flaunted his alliance with the Marcos family. He has said Imee Marcos contributed financially to his successful campaign for the presidency two years ago.


As a payback, he ordered the transfer of the dictator’s remains to a heroes’ cemetery in Manila shortly after he took office, sparking angry protests. And while the Marcos family had repeatedly denied charges that they had plundered the state treasury, Duterte said last year they were willing to return “a few gold bars” and reveal their hidden accounts.


Ferdinand Marcos died in 1989 in Hawaii, three years after a “people power” revolt ended his dictatorship. Thousands of activists, politicians and ordinary Filipinos who opposed the regime were either killed or jailed in what was considered the darkest period in modern Philippine history.


The government allowed his survivors to return home shortly after his death, and Imelda Marcos lost no time in consolidating political power in the family’s base.


Imee Marcos is the outgoing governor there and is seeking a senate seat next year, while Ferdinand Jr. is contesting the vice presidency he lost two years ago. Duterte is backing his efforts.


https://www.benarnews.org/english/ne...018124554.html

^Once again, she'll never serve a day.

Final destination London or Paris?

^Nope. She'll stay right in the province she totally controls, surrounded by her fawning followers.