Various groups gathered at the People Power Monument on Edsa on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, to push for the imprisonment of former first lady Imelda Marcos. (Photo by JHESSET O. ENANO / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The Sandiganbayan should not let pass the lies of former first lady Imelda Marcos, who claimed that she was ill when she skipped the promulgation of her graft case, according to former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay.
Hilbay, a senatorial aspirant, was among the 200 people who gathered at the People Power Monument on Sunday to call for the immediate arrest of the wife of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
“I don’t think the Sandiganbayan should allow that kind of blatant dishonesty to go unpunished,” Hilbay told reporters. “At the very least, she should have been cited for contempt of court… Down the line, they should deny her the remedies of appeal because she decided not to attend the promulgation and lied with respect to the justification.”
Marcos, 89, was found guilty by the antigraft court of seven counts of graft on Nov. 9.
READ: Imelda Marcos guilty of graft, ordered arrested
She cited “multiple organ infirmities” for her absence during the promulgation.
However, she was photographed on the same day during the birthday party celebration of her daughter, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos.
“I hope the Sandiganbayan will decide fairly with the view to applying equally the rules… We are not asking for any special treatment,” Hilbay said.
Former Commission on Human Rights chair Etta Rosales, however, said despite the delay in the arrest, the conviction was still a victory for the Filipino people.
“They can no longer try to revise history… The court showed that no longer can they try to institutionalize a climate of impunity,” she said.
The opposition groups — which included Akbayan, The Silent Majority, Tindig Pilipinas and Millennials Against Dictators — gathered at the People Power Monument on Edsa on the exact day that Ferdinand Marcos was sneakily buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani two years ago.
LOOK: Exactly two years since the dictator Ferdinand Marcos was buried in Libingan ng mga Bayani, people gather anew at People Power Monument to call for the arrest of former first lady Imelda Marcos, who was convicted of graft by Sandiganbayan. @inquirerdotnet pic.twitter.com/MF6HJXzvqL
— Jhesset O. Enano (@JhessetEnano) November 18, 2018
Carrying banners and placards, they chanted: “Never again to martial law!” and “Imelda, Iselda! (Jail Imelda!).” /atm