Sandiganbayan dismisses Marcoses' ill-gotten wealth case due to inaction

The Sandiganbayan Second Division has dismissed an ill-gotten wealth case against former dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda due to prolonged inaction by state prosecutors.

In a resolution dated February 18, Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith A. Econg stated that the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) failed to prosecute the case for over four decades.

The PCGG filed its complaint against the Marcoses in July 1987, seeking the return of vehicles and household appliances valued at P5 million, which were allegedly acquired with ill-gotten wealth.

Despite an initial court order for forfeiture in 1989, the case was overturned three years later due to Imelda Marcos' inability to respond while she was in exile in the United States.

The PCGG did not object to the termination of the case since they had already recovered some assets through a previous forfeiture order, but the court dismissed the complaint for unresolved issues and unfulfilled prosecution duties.