Former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos and her daughters, Senator Imee Marcos and Irene Marcos-Araneta, have lost their chance to present evidence in the ill-gotten wealth case under Civil Case 0014, a Sandiganbayan division declared on Thursday.
This comes after the members of the Marcos' family and a certain Don Ferry failed to show up nor sent a legal counsel to the day's proceedings where they were supposed to present evidence in their defense.
"Despite notice, none of these defendants appeared [here in court] or sent any representative. In lieu of this, the court hereby declares as having waived right to present evidence the following defendants in this case: Imelda Marcos, Maria Imelda 'Imee' Marcos Manotoc, Irene Marcos-Araneta and Don Ferry," Sandiganbayan Second Division chairperson Associate Justice Oscar Herrera Jr. said in a statement.
Civil Case 0014 accuses the Panlilio couple Rebecco and Erlinda — alleged business associates of Mrs. Marcos and her husband, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. — of acting as dummies in acquiring ownership/control of several companies by securing financial assistance from state institutions on liberal terms "for their financial and pecuniary interests."
During the pre-trial, the court also gave President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., one of the defendants, and government prosecutors 30 days to submit their memoranda.
He also earlier asked the anti-graft court to consider the dismissal of several ill-gotten wealth lawsuits against his family in its appreciation of the case it is hearing now.
In the same hearing, prosecutors from the Presidential Commission on Good Government and the Office of the Solicitor General said they would not be presenting rebuttal evidence anymore.
