Imelda Marcos ordered arrested According to a decision by the anti-graft court, Marcos is sentenced to imprisonment of from six years to one month, up to 11 years for each count, for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act when she transferred around $200 million to seven Swiss foundations during her term as Metro Manila governor in 1975.
The Sandigan Bayan also ordered the arrest of Marcos, whose camp did not attend the legal proceedings. She was given 30 days by the anti-graft court to explain her absence. She can still post bail for her temporary liberty but the amount has yet to be set by the court.
She is also perpetually disqualified from holding any public office, although she can still continue her gubernatorial bid in Ilocos Norte as her camp can still file a motion for reconsideration.
“Pwede niyang i-akyat sa Supreme Court kung may nakita siyang grave abuse of discretion sa desisyon ng Sandiganbayan so hindi pa ho siya final and executory,” Assistant Special Prosecutor Ryan Quilala told reporters after the promulgation.
(She can elevate the matter to the Supreme Court if she finds grave abuse of discretion in the decision of Sandiganbayan which is not yet final and executory.)
According to Quilala, Mrs. Marcos, along with her late husband former President Ferdinand Marcos, allegedly took part in managing Swiss foundations which was disallowed by the 1973 Constitution.
“Lahat po ‘yon, do’n binuksan sa Switzerland, actually silang mag-asawa ang nag-bukas. And makikita ninyo, para itago ‘yong account nang hindi natin makita, gumamit sila ng mga pseudonyms, si Presidente (Marcos) ang ginamit niya parang William Saunders, si Imelda Marcos ang ginamit niya Jane Ryan,” Quilala said.
“But ‘yong mga pag-open ng accounts, lahat ng documents, pumipirma siya ng as Imelda Marcos,” he added. The former First Lady was acquitted in three other cases involving local foundations, due to lack of concrete evidence to support the cases filed in 1991, spanning 27 years, several presiding judges and prosecution members. (First published in Inquirer.net)