Martial law victims nudge Supreme Court to act on Imelda Marcos conviction

Victims of the Martial Law dictatorship sent a letter to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, November 9, appealing to sustain the conviction of former first lady Imelda Marcos on seven counts of graft.

“Ferdinand Jr (Bongbong) is in the running for a presidential bid. Many suspect that the funds for such have been obtained from the nation’s coffers,” SELDA or Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto wrote in the letter addressed to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

The letter added, “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 affirm Mrs. Imelda Marcos’ conviction by the Sandiganbayan.”

Imelda Marcos was convicted exactly three years ago, on November 9, 2018, for seven counts of graft for illegally creating and maintaining Swiss foundations, where they earned at least $200 million from interest and investments for the “private benefit” of the former first family.

Imelda directly appealed her conviction to the Supreme Court.

No development to that appeal has been made known since.

“We inquired about the status of Mrs. Marcos’ appeal on this same day last year through a letter addressed to then Supreme Court Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta. Our inquiry was noted without action,” SELDA said.

Generally, people convicted of bailable crimes like graft can enjoy post-conviction bail. They will only serve their sentence if the conviction has been made final by the Supreme Court. But Imelda Marcos snubbed the promulgation of judgment, a ground for revoking the post-conviction bail, which is why the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division initially issued an arrest warrant.

Imelda Marcos then appeared before the Sandiganbayan to explain that she never knew it was her promulgation. Applying humanitarian considerations due to old age, the Sandiganbayan restored bail but doubled it to P300,000.

“In contrast, poor Filipinos accused of minor crimes are immediately put in jail. Remember the case of Paul Tanglao, a 21-year-old supermarket clerk who was jailed for stealing a P31.50 can of corned beef because he was hungry?” said CARMMA, or the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law, in a statement on Tuesday.

“We call on the sense of truth and justice of members of this honorable Court and decide with dispatch to dismiss Mrs. Marcos’ appeal,” SELDA said in its letter.

The Sandiganbayan’s decision in 2018 said all three Marcos children – Bongbong, Senator Imee Marcos, and Irene – were specifically named as beneficiaries of the illegal Trinidad and Xandy Foundations.

To date, none of them have addressed this issue.