Kaso ng ill-gotten wealth vs Marcos Sr., iba pa ibinasura

Kaso ng ill-gotten wealth vs Marcos Sr., iba pa ibinasura

February 22, 2023 @ 5:33 PM 1 month ago


MANILA, Philippines – Ibinasura ng Sandiganbayan ang kasong inihain dahil sa ill-gotten wealth laban kina dating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at iba pa makaraang desisyunan ng anti-graft court na bigong makapaghain ng sapat na ebidensya ang prosekusyon laban dito.

Sa 156-pahinang desisyon na may petsang Pebrero 21, ibinasura ng anti-graft court ang Civil Case 0024 na idinadawit si yumaong Marcos, asawa nito na si Imelda, Luis Yulo, Roberto Benedicto, Nicolas Dehesa, Jose Tengco Jr, Rafael Sison, Cesar Zalamea at Don Ferry sa pangangamkam ng napakaraming utang mula sa state-run financial institutions pabor sa mga kompanya na kinokontrol ng mga ito.

Sa ruling, sinabi ng Sandiganbayan na “the plaintiff (the Philippine government) failed to prove by preponderant evidence that the properties alleged in the complaint are ill-gotten and/or were beneficially owned and controlled by former President Marcos and his family.”

Sinabi rin nito na bumase lamang ang state prosecutors sa testimonya ni Rolando Gapud, na sa konkulsyon ay isa lamang sabi-sabi dahil hindi ito tumayo bilang witness.

“Plaintiff (Philippine government) relied heavily on the affidavit of Rolando Gapud wherein it said that serving as financial advisor of the former President, he had personal knowledge that the latter used his close business associates Yulo as his dummy in YKR and PIMECO. The material allegations in the amended complaint were corroborated by the subject affidavit. However, Gapud was not presented in Court to testify on the matters alleged,” ayon pa sa Sandiganbayan.

“In a replete number of cases, the Supreme Court ruled that failure to put the affiant on the witness stand is fatal to the case as it renders the affidavit inadmissible under the hearsay rule,” dagdag pa.

Sa kabila nito, iginiit naman ng government prosecutors na dapat kilalanin ang testimonya ni Gapud dahil kinilala ito sa Philippine Consular Office sa Hong Kong.

Hindi naman sumang-ayon dito ang Sandiganbayan.

“The Court is not convinced. While it is true that the affidavit was notarized, the general rule is that affidavits are classified as hearsay evidence, unless affiants are placed on the witness stand,” anito.

“In view of the foregoing, this case for reversion, reconveyance, and accounting against defendants Peter A. Sabido, Luis A. Yulo, Nicolas Dehesa, Ferdinand E. Marcos, Rafael Sison, and Don M. Ferry, is dismissed for failure of the plaintiff to prove by preponderance of evidence,” dagdag pa ng Sandiganbayan.

Ang Civil Case 0024 ay isa sa mga ill-gotten wealth cases laban sa pamilyang Marcos makalipas ang 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. RNT/JGC