Plunder by the Marcoses being consigned to oblivion
Almost all of the cases filed against the Marcos family and its cronies have been dismissed. There are fears that they would eventually be able to recover their ill-gotten wealth. This, as a consequence of collusion between the Marcoses and the government, willful negligence and corruption on the part of government and the prosecution and maneuvers by the Marcos camp.
The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which was formed in 1986 to take charge of the recovery of the Marcoses� ill-gotten wealth, is dragging its feet on the matter. Most of the cases filed against Imelda Marcos and her husband�s cronies have been dismissed by the Ombudsman.
Due to a supposed lack of evidence that would prove that the wealth had been acquired through criminal means, Zurich district attorney and investigating magistrate Dieter Jann has lifted the embargo on the ill-gotten wealth deposited by three Marcos cronies in Swiss banks. Although the decision to lift the embargo has not been approved by the Swiss Federal Council, which had imposed it on the bank deposits, it has been lifted twice by Jann � on January 6 and March 12. Covered are no less than $17 million deposited by Marcos� former energy minister Geronimo Velasco, his nephew Alfredo de Borja and his secretary Carmencita Clavecilla. Documentary evidence against Velasco are missing from the PCGG office.
Roundly criticized, the PCGG hurriedly filed a petition to restore the embargo on the deposits of the three Marcos cronies.
Up to 92 out of 111 criminal cases filed by the PCGG against Imelda Marcos have been dismissed by the Ombudsman, including those dismissed by Ombudsman Aniano Desierto under the current regime. This is based on a composite listing by the Overall Deputy Ombudsman and the Head Executive Assistant of the Ombudsman.
Lately, Imelda Marcos and three other officials of the defunct Ministry of Human Settlements (MHS) were acquitted by the Sandiganbayan of two cases of graft involving the appropriation of P97.95 million from a P100-million fund intended for the Kilusan Para sa Sariling Sikap. Among those acquitted in the case filed in 1987 were MHS Dep. Minister Jose Conrado Benitez, assistant manager for finance Gilbert Dulay and assistant manager for regional operations Roberto Zagala. The Ombudsman never even objected to the petition for dismissal by the Marcoses supposedly filed due to a lack of evidence to convict the defendants.
Also dismissed was a case in Masbate against the Bakunawa couple, former minions of Imelda, involving a 100-hectare lot given to them by Imelda. The land is being claimed by farmers in the area.
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