Imelda Marcos, daughters waived right to present evidence —Sandiganbayan

Former First Lady Imelda Marcos and daughters Senator Imee Marcos and Irene Marcos-Araneta, as well as a certain Don Ferry, have waived their right to present evidence in the ill-gotten wealth case under Civil Case 0014, a Sandiganbayan division declared on Thursday.

This developed after the members of the Marcos family and Ferry neither showed up nor sent a legal counsel to the day's proceedings where they were supposed to present evidence in their defense.

Civil Case 0014 accuses the Panlilio couple Rebecco and Erlinda — alleged business associates of Mrs. Marcos and her husband, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. — of acting as dummies in acquiring ownership/control of several companies by securing financial assistance from state institutions on liberal terms "for their financial and pecuniary interests."

"Despite notice, none of these defendants appeared [here in court] or sent any representative. In lieu of this, the court hereby declares as having waived right to present evidence the following defendants in this case: Imelda Marcos, Maria Imelda 'Imee' Marcos Manotoc, Irene Marcos-Araneta and Don Ferry," Sandiganbayan Second Division chairperson Associate Justice Oscar Herrera Jr. said.

Government prosecutors from the Presidential Commission on Good Government and the Office of the Solicitor General, during the same hearing, said they would not be presenting rebuttal evidence anymore.

Because of this, Herrera ordered the two parties to submit memoranda within 30 days, after which the case will be submitted for resolution.

State prosecutors have made a motion to declare the Marcos family and Ferry to have waived their right to present evidence back in October 2019 due to their repeated absence during court proceedings.

Lawyer Manuel Plaza, who was present during Thursday's proceedings as legal counsel of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., said he was not aware if other members of the Marcos family will still contest the court regarding its declaration that they are waiving their right to present evidence.

"I cannot speak for them," Plaza told reporters.

GMA News Online has contacted Sen. Imee Marcos for her comment, but she has yet to respond as of posting time.

Civil Case 0014, filed in 1987, involves the following companies: 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.

Civil Case 0014 also alleges that the Panlilio couple — as well as Modesto Enriquez, Trinidad Diaz-Enriquez, Leandro Enriquez, Guillermo Gastrock, Ernesto Abalos and Gregorio Castillo — took advantage of their close ties with the Marcos couple to devise several schemes and strategies "in order to enrich themselves at the expense of" the Philippine government.

Last month, President Marcos adopted at least seven Sandiganbayan decisions junking P302 billion worth of ill-gotten and forfeiture cases against him and his family as evidence in Civil Case 0014.  —KBK, GMA News