Sandiganbayan set to hear motion of Imelda on Friday
The Sandiganbayan's Fifth Division is set to hear a motion filed by the camp of Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos last Monday.
The hearing will be on November 16, Friday at 8:30 am.
Marcos through her lawyer, former Justice Manuel Lazaro, filed "motion for leave of court to avail of post-conviction remedies" after she was found guilty of seven counts of graft and corruption last week.
The Fifth Division's clerk of court said once the court approves her motion, only then her camp can file a motion for reconsideration.
On the warrant of arrest for the former First Lady, the Fifth Division said "they are following the rule of court's 15 days allowing her to explain her absence during the decision last Friday (November 9)".
The order to issue a warrant of arrest was signed Tuesday afternoon. It also ordered to forfeit the bail bonds of Marcos after her "unjustified" absence.
The warrant of arrest may possibly be released after the hearing on Friday depending on the court's decision.
According to Judicial and Records Division of Sandiganbayan, there are no pending criminal case against Marcos but there are still a lot of pending civil cases.
One of them is the P200-billion forfeiture case against Marcos and her family that is nearing resolution.
The Fourth Division's clerk of court said the Office of the Solicitor General and the camp of Marcos submitted their memorandum.
"One is May 8 (OSG) and the other one is last July 31 (Marcos)," the staff said.
Civil Case no. 0002 filed on 1987 by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) assisted by the Office of the Solicitor General sought to "recover from them ill-gotten wealth consisting of funds and other property" they accumulated as public officials.
PCGG said an estimate of P200 billion worth of alleged ill-gotten wealth were accumulated by the Marcoses.
“Defendants illegally accumulated funds and other property whose estimated value is P200 billion in violation of the laws of the Philippines and in breach of their official functions and fiduciary obligations," said the PCGG.
The government also wants to reimburse additional actual damages of P250 million for the recovery of the alleged ill-gotten wealth, pay moral damages amounting to P50 billion and exemplary damages in the amount of P1 billion.
Temperate and nominal damages, as well as attorney’s fees and litigation expenses, treble judicial costs will be determined by the Sandiganbayan.
The clerk of court said other defendants were dropped from the case and only the Marcos family will face the charges.
Martial Law victims staged a protest in front of the Sandiganbayan calling the immediate arrest of the former First Lady.
"Let President (Rodrigo) Duterte proved that there are no friends, family and relatives for him.. proved that you are not taking any side. Arrest Imelda, return the country's wealth," said one of the victims. Ella Dionisio/DMS
