THE Sandiganbayan yesterday said former first lady Imelda R. Marcos and her daughters Sen. Imee Marcos-Manotoc and Irene Marcos-Araneta are now barred from presenting documentary or testimonial evidence in Civil Case No. 0014, a 35-year-old ill-gotten wealth case.
At the motion of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) in open court, the anti-graft court’s Second Division held that the mother and sisters of President Marcos Jr. are deemed to have waived their right to present evidence after failing to show up at the resumption of proceedings yesterday together with co-defendant former Development Bank of the Philippines vice chairman Don Ferry.
“When this case was called for the presentation of evidence of Imelda Marcos, Imee Marcos-Manotoc and Irene Marcos Araneta for them to present their evidence in this case, there was no appearance. Despite notice, none of these defendants [appeared],” Associate Justice Oscar C. Herrera Jr. noted.
With no other defendant left to present evidence, Herrera ordered the lawyers of both parties to submit their written memoranda pending resolution of the case.
“This case has been pending since 1987, so the period to file memoranda is non-extendible 30 days from today, after that …considered submitted for decision,” Herrera said.
Plaza, speaking to reporters after the hearing, said the President is confident that the Sandiganbayan “will hand down a fair decision” after receiving his memorandum.
The Sandiganbayan said that as early as October 15, 2019, the government, through the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and the OSG have already filed a motion to declare the same set of defendants to have waived their rights to present evidence also for non-appearance.
At the previous hearing last August 10, Manuel Plaza, counsel for Marcos Jr., manifested in open court that the President is no longer calling any witness or marking additional exhibits but will simply adopt all the evidence presented by his co-respondents.
Civil Case No. 0014 was filed by the PCGG on July 23, 1987, seeking recovery of ill-gotten wealth allegedly amassed by defendants Modesto Enriquez, Trinidad Diaz Enriquez, Rebecco Panlilio, Erlinda Enriquez Panlilio, and Leandro Enriquez.
The PCGG said they took advantage of their connection to then President Ferdinand E. Marcos and his wife to acquire ownership and control of various corporations with favorable loans from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).
Also named were Ferry and former GSIS president Roman Cruz Jr.
The government is seeking forfeiture in its favor of assets valued at around P581.304 million as well as payment of damages.
While the Marcos widow is among the original respondents, her children were named substitute defendants following the death of the late dictator in 1989.
Based on case records, the government has completed its presentation of evidence on September 11, 2018.
