On the third anniversary of Imelda Marcos’ graft conviction, survivors of Marcos’ martial law led by Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) and Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA) held a protest at the Supreme Court (SC) on November 9, to call for the affirmation of her graft ruling related to illegal bank transfers made to Swiss foundations during her term as a government official under her husband’s regime.
In a letter addressed to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and sent through Atty. Jose Marquez, SELDA vice-chairperson and current CARMMA convener Danilo de la Fuente urged the SC to uphold the 2018 Sandiganbayan ruling on Marcos’ corruption cases.
“In the interest of justice for all victims of human rights violations during the martial law period, we again appeal to this honorable Court to uphold Mrs. Imelda Marcos’ conviction by the Sandiganbayan. We call on the sense of truth and justice of members of this Honorable Court and decide with dispatch to dismiss Mrs. Marcos’ appeal,” wrote de la Fuente.
He decried the SC’s inaction on their inquiry on the status of Marcos’ appeal filed on the same day last year.
Marcos’ conviction
On November 9, 2018, the Sandiganbayan 5th division convicted Imelda Marcos on seven counts of graft related to several bank transfers made to private foundations in Switzerland during her tenure as an official under her husband’s government. The dictator’s wife was found guilty for creating these foundations and using them to funnel illegally amassed government funds for the benefit of the Marcos family.
The amount of the funnelled funds was estimated to be at US$200 million or more than P 10 billion in today’s currency.
Marcos was sentenced to six to 11 years in jail for each count of graft.
Almost a month later, on December 5, she posted a P 300,000 bail to enjoy temporary freedom while appealing her conviction. She subsequently filed a notice to the Sandiganbayan to forward her case to the Supreme Court, which was approved on December 11 of the same year.
The trial for the cases started in June 2002 under the Sandiganbayan 3rd division. The cases were re-raffled multiple times in the span of six years before it was finally consolidated to the Sandiganbayan fifth division in 2006. The trial for all cases lasted for 16 years.
