MANILA (UCAN): Philippine rights activists and martial law victims staged protests after a special anti-graft court acquitted the family of former president, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., in another forfeiture case on February 22.
The court, known as the Sandiganbayan, junked yet another civil forfeiture case against the Marcos family after its lawyers objected to the photocopied evidence presented in the case by the prosecution.
The latest ruling resulted in the dismissal of a fifth case in the government’s attempts to forfeit the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family and its allies, according to court records.
Human rights group, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, also known as Bayan, criticised the court ruling and expressed doubt over government lawyers’ dedication to pursuing the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family and its allies.
“We will never forget the human rights abuses of the Marcos family. This is proven by court rulings. The latest dismissal of the case, however, adds insult to the injury of the Filipino people whose money was robbed by the Marcoses,” Bayan’s Quezon City organiser, Pedro Frias, told reporters.
Regarding photocopies as evidence, lawyer, Alfred Cabeza, said: “You know, the court cannot consider photocopies as evidence. Thus, they need to be expunged from the records of the case.”
We will never forget the human rights abuses of the Marcos family. This is proven by court rulings. The latest dismissal of the case, however, adds insult to the injury of the Filipino people whose money was robbed by the Marcoses
Cabeza explained that evidence linking the Marcoses to their ill-gotten wealth was not acceptable they were mere photocopies.
Martial law victims held a prayer rally in the capital Manila after the Ash Wednesday Mass, seeking justice for those who lost their lives during the martial law period.
“It is difficult to believe that justice is still working in this country. But what we still fail to understand is the seeming lack of interest by government lawyers to safeguard the original documents,” Christina dela Cruz, a Kabataan youth group member, told reporters.
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The youth group, whose members staged a protest in front of the Ateneo de Manila University, said the dismissal of another case against the Marcos family appeared to be “vindication” of the Marcos family from their crimes.
“It seems that they’re [re]making history [to say] that they have not done anything wrong,” Kabataan treasurer Martin Villavicencio said.
Marcos suspended parliament and arrested and tortured tens of thousands of people during nearly a decade of martial law beginning in 1972. More than 70,000 people were arrested, 34,000 were tortured and over 3,200 people were killed in nine years, according to Amnesty International.
During this time, the Marcos family, however, lived a lavish life. Former first lady, Imelda Marcos, is known to have amassed a huge collection of art and costly items, including hundreds of pairs of shoes.
