Sandiganbayan Dismisses Suit Against Marcos, Ver, et. al.

The late dictator Ferdinand Marcos vowed to protect the land and its people

The anti-graft court junks the suit against Marcos and his cronies, and orders the lifting of the sequestration order on their properties

After 24 years and during the start of the Renato Corona Impeachment trial, the Sandiganbayan dismissed the government’s P50-billion ill-gotten wealth suit against the Marcos and Ver families, former trade minister Roberto Ongpin, and those who participated in the Binondo Central Bank.

The court said the prosecution was not able to establish the respondents working together to steal government funds.

The Special 2^nd Division of the anti-graft court issued a decision, signed by Associate Justice Samuel Martires, dismissing the case against the late Ferdinand Marcos, Gen. Fabian Ver, Irwin Ver, Imelda Marcos, Rexor Ver, Wyrlo Ver, Helma Ver Tuason, Faida Ver Resurreccion, and Filipino-Chinese traders Edna Camcam, Jimmy Chua, Go Pok, Catalino Coo, Raffy Chua, Peter Uy, Benito Peñalosa, Sio Lim, Wilson Chua, Balbino Diego, Arturo Pacificador, Sally See and Vinnie James Uy.

The accused were involved in the Binondo Central Bank (BCB) scam where they allegedly manipulated the trading of the dollar from 1884 to 1986 to enrich themselves. This was during the time foreign lenders discontinued lending to the Philippines due to the assassination of opposition leader former Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr.  

The group invested in Hong Kong the dollars they bought locally by using government resources as claimed by witnesses. This was unknown to the Central Bank and against the tax laws of the land.

The government mainly asked to be paid by the accused P50 billion in moral damages and an additional P1 billion for exemplary damages.

On January 19, the anti-graft dismissed the case for “insufficiency of evidence.”

“A mere allegation is not enough. It must be supported by proof, otherwise it will just remain a story,” the Sandiganbayan said. “Indeed, plaintiff Republic failed to present evidence to prove its claims.”

“To substantiate its claim for reconveyance, reversion, accounting and restitution, plaintiff ought to have shown that the assets and/or properties of the defendants belonged to or was once part of the vast resources of the government which were conveyed to them as managers or trustees,” the court added.

According to the court, there were also no evidences that the Marcoses and the Vers received money from the traders involved in the BCB, that the defendants illegitimately acquired specific properties, and that the government suffered damages from the BCB operation.

The Sandiganbayan ordered that the sequestration order on the defendants’ properties be lifted by the Presidential Commission on Good Government. The said agency was created in 1986 to get back the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family and their cronies.

The court also ordered the lifting of the civil suit filed against the Marcoses.

 photo: http://joseangelito-angeles.tripod.com