YEAR-ENDER: Marcos family scores major victories, suffer minor losses in 2019

The winning streak of the Marcoses started as early as January this year as the anti-graft court’s Special Fourth Division ordered the release of the sequestered properties of Gregorio Araneta III, son-in-law of late President Ferdinand Marcos.

The Sandiganbayan, for its part, found some merit in Araneta’s claim. It clarified that only properties in the name of Araneta were ordered to be lifted – meaning IMEXCO Enterprises Inc. and Asialand Development Corporation. The rest of the properties will remain with the government.

YKR then suggested a land-swapping arrangement after the intervention of then Minister Juan Tuvera, but this did not materialize since PABC rejected the public land being offered because it was situated in a rebel-infested territory in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental. In its 67-page ruling, the anti-graft court said that the burden of proof in the civil forfeiture proceedings fell on the PCGG. The question it sought is whether or not the PCGG was able to adduce sufficient evidence to prove that the properties sought to be recovered are in truth ill-gotten and that the defendants, by virtue of their position, close association or relation with President Marcos and his wife, accumulated wealth by illegal means.

But sadly for the PCGG, the court ruled that they “failed to illustrate how defendants acted as dummies of Imelda Marcos in acquiring ill-gotten wealth.” Meanwhile, Arambulo was accused of establishing California Overseas Bank “with the use of purloined funds.” But the court found that the evidence presented against him is insufficient to establish its claim.

They also have shares of stocks in Tourist Duty Free Shops Inc. and Hari-Raya Coffee Shops, Inc., Rustan Commercial Corporation, Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines, Sanmar Export Corporation, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, and Philippine Eagle Mines, Inc., among many others. They also procured almost unlimited duty-free importation benefits and manipulated importations by mere Draft Acceptances in excess of the amounts allowed by the Central Bank.

Fe reportedly engaged in the unlawful transfer of millions of dollars of government funds into several accounts in her name in foreign countries, then disbursed these funds from her various personal accounts for her and the defendants’ personal use and enrichment. She also acted as a conduit for the Marcoses in purchasing expensive works of art as well as other properties located in New York, USA.

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