Philippine court rejects govt effort to recover Marcos wealth

MANILA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - The Philippine anti-graft court
has rejected an effort to claim millions of dollars in art,
property and investments from the family and associates of late
strongman Ferdinand Marcos, saying the government failed to
prove its case.
The government had alleged that Marcos and his wife, Imelda,
acquired expensive art works, jewellery, properties and stakes
in businesses with help from a former government official and
business leaders.
During 20 years of rule, Marcos, his family and cronies
amassed an estimated $10 billion in wealth, according to the
findings of a commission created after his ouster in a
military-backed civilian uprising in 1986.
The government "failed to prove by preponderance of
evidence" that the Marcoses and their associates conspired to
obtain ill-gotten wealth, the Sandiganbayan court said in a
Sept. 25 ruling that was only made public on Tuesday.
The acting head of the government agency that lost the court
case declined to comment because they had not seen the full
decision, the ANC news channel reported.
The seven defendants in the case included Imelda Marcos, who
is currently serving as a congresswoman, a former government
official and business leaders with ties to the couple.
"There is likewise insufficient evidence to prove that the
defendants acted as dummies, nominees and/or agents of
defendants Marcoses in acquiring works of art, clothes,
jewellery, or real estate worth billions of pesos," the court
said.
Imelda Marcos' lawyer declined to comment, saying he had to
speak to his client first.
After Marcos died in exile three years after he was
overthrown, Imelda faced hundreds of cases to recover assets
believed to have been stashed abroad and in the Philippines.
The government won a victory in 2018 when the anti-graft
court sentenced the former first lady to 11 years in prison for
making illegal bank transfers worth $200 million to Swiss
foundations while Manila governor in the 1970s. She is on bail
pending her appeal.
Imelda has served several terms in Congress, while her
daughter Imee is a senator. Ferdinand Marcos' son and namesake,
popularly known as Bongbong, is seeking a vote recount after
finishing runner-up in the 2016 vice presidential election.
The Marcos family enjoys good relations with President
Rodrigo Duterte, who just a few months after he was sworn into
office in June 2016, allowed the late strongman's embalmed body
to be buried at a special heroes' cemetery.