PCGG on Sandiganbayan Marcos wealth decision: We recovered 16 ill-gotten vehicles

The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) on Wednesday said that the ill-gotten wealth of at least P5 million worth of motor vehicles has been recovered by the government.

The PCGG, the government agency tasked to go after the ill-gotten wealth of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., his family members and associates, issued the statement after the Sandiganbayan issued a decision dismissing the ill-gotten wealth case under Civil Case 0032 filed against former Marcos and his wife, Imelda, due to inaction of government prosecutors.

Civil Case 0032, filed by the government against the Marcos couple and former Malacañang photographer Fernando Timbol in July 1987, involves 16 allegedly illegally acquired motor vehicles and household appliances which should be returned to the government.

“The Supreme Court Decision dated February 8, 1989 declared the properties acquired by defendant Timbol as ill-gotten, and forfeited in favor of the Republic. A writ of execution was then issued, transferring the custody of the said vehicles to the PCGG,” the PCGG said.

“By virtue of the writ of execution, the PCGG was able to successfully recover the 16 forfeited motor vehicles,” the PCGG said.

PCGG’s statement did not exactly mirror the Sandiganbayan’s decision on Civil Case 0032 dated February 18.

The Sandiganbayan’s February 18 decision stated that a writ of execution was indeed issued, and custody of said vehicles were consequently transferred to the PCGG as reflected in the Sheriff's Progress Report dated March 31, 1989 and Sheriff's Return dated January 8, 1990.

However, the same anti-graft court decision also stated that “the writ of execution on the subject household appliances was left unsatisfied considering that said appliances can no longer be identified by the one who made the inventory thereof.”

The PCGG, in its statement after the Sandiganbayan released its February 18 decision, also argued that the proceedings remained pending before the Sandiganbayan until the anti-graft court scheduled a case conference on January 21 this year to put the case to a close.

“During the said conference, the PCGG manifested that it has no objection if the court will consider the case closed and terminated considering that the Commission has satisfied the writ of execution with the successful turnover of the properties sought to be recovered,” the PCGG said.

“Given this, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) was also amenable to the closure and termination of the case. In light of PCGG's manifestation, the Sandiganbayan dismissed the case against the Marcos spouses,” the PCGG added. —KG, GMA Integrated News