Sandiganbayan: OSG left ill-gotten wealth case vs. Marcos associates unattended since Jan. 2019

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG)—for the past one year, two months and counting—has not taken a legal action on an ill-gotten wealth case against the 20 individuals who allegedly held 3,305 shares of stock in Eastern Telecommunications Philippines, Inc. for the benefit of former President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda, a Sandiganbayan court resolution showed.

The Sandiganbayan Fourth Division, in a resolution for Civil Case 0178 dated February 28 this year, said that the OSG led by Solicitor General Jose Calida has yet to inform the court of any legal action it took or if it is still pursuing the ill-gotten wealth case to this day.

The anti-graft court earlier granted the OSG’s motion to be given more time to properly serve summons and thresh out the issues in the said ill-gotten wealth case in a resolution dated September 28, 2018.

The said resolution stemmed from the Philippine government’s September 24, 2018 Motion to Suspend Preliminary Conference because several defendants have not yet filed their answer either to the original complaint or the amended complaint.

The motion also seeks to suspend proceedings to allow the serving of summons to the parties.  It also said that pre-trial is premature since the issues have not yet been joined.

“On September 28, 2018, the Court issued an Order granting the said motion, suspending the preliminary conference for 60 days, and ordering the plaintiff to make the proper legal action on the matter. However, to date, the plaintiff has failed to inform this Court of the necessary legal action it has undertaken,” the Sandiganbayan said.

“Wherefore, the Office of the Solicitor General is directed to inform the Court within five days from notice hereof the proper legal action it has undertaken or intends to undertake thereon,” the Sandiganbayan added.

Civil Case 0178 alleges that the shares of the Marcos couple in Eastern Eastern Telecommunications Philippines, Inc. were registered to the following individuals:

 

•     Rosario Arellano
•     Victoria Legarda
•     Angela Lobregat
•     Pablo Lobregat (in trust for Rafael Valdez)
•     Benito Nieto
•     Carlos Nieto
•     Manuel Nieto III
•     Ramon Nieto
•     Ma. Rita Delos Reyes
•     Carmen Tuazon
•     Rafael  Valdez
•     Andres Africa (in trust for Rosario Songco)
•     Lourdes Africa (in trust for Nathalie  Africa)
•     Lourdes Africa (in trust for Jose Enrique Africa)
•     Lourdes Africa (in trust for Paul Delfin Africa)
•     Victor Africa
•     Juan De Ocampo (in trust for Rosario Songco)
•     Raquel Dinglasan
•     Evelyn Romero and
•     Rosario Songco

Habit?

Earlier, a court filing of the OSG dated February 2020 also showed that the OSG missed the court-appointed deadline to comment on the appeal lodged by one of the accused in the ill-gotten wealth case against the family of the late Marcos and their cronies under Civil Case 0014.

In the said February 20 court filing, the OSG said it received a copy of the January 10 Sandiganbayan Order requiring comment on the motion for reconsideration on denial of demurrer to evidence filed by defendants heirs of Rebecco Panlilio and Erlinda Panlilio. However, the OSG said that January 10 court order was lost along the way since it was included by the secretary in another case.

Civil Case 0014 accuses the Panlilios—business associates of the Marcos couple—of acting as dummies in acquiring ownership/control of Ternate Development Corp., Monte Sol Development Corporation, Olas del Mar Development Corporation, Fantasia Filipina Resort, Inc., Sulo Dobbs, Inc., Philippine Village, Inc., Silahis International Hotel, Inc., and Hotel Properties, Inc. by securing financial assistance from government institutions on liberal terms for their financial and pecuniary interests.

During the 2016 polls, Calida was a member of Alyansang Duterte-Bongbong—the group which campaigned for then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for President and then Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. as Vice President.

Marcos, Jr., who lost in the 2016 race, is the son and namesake of the late President Marcos. —LDF, GMA News