Sandiganbayan dismisses six coco levy fund cases against Marcoses

The Sandiganbayan dismissed six ill-gotten wealth cases involving the coco levy fund against former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., his wife Imelda Marcos, and their associates.

In a 42-page resolution dated Thursday, December 12, the court cited the 2019 Supreme Court ruling in Cojuangco vs. Sandiganbayan under the doctrine of stare decisis, preventing re-litigation of issues already resolved by a competent court.

The dismissed cases alleged misuse of the coco levy fund for various purposes, including creating companies and awarding damages.

The government's prosecution team failed to advance the cases to trial despite their pendency for 37 years, resulting in significant financial costs and missed opportunities for the government to strengthen its claims.

The Sandiganbayan noted that decades-long delays were prejudicial to the defendants, impacting memories and evidence, and violated their constitutional rights to due process and a speedy resolution of cases.

The court stressed that justice cannot be served through unnecessary delays or redundant litigation, emphasizing adherence to settled judicial rulings.