Congress asked to probe missing papers in Marcos wealth cases

MANILA, Philippines — Where are the documents that would prove the Marcos family’s ill-gotten wealth?

Former Commission on Human Rights chair Etta Rosales on Tuesday called on Congress to investigate why the documents needed in the multimillion-peso forfeiture cases against the Marcoses have gone missing, leading to the Sandiganbayan’s dismissal of three civil suits in three months for “insufficient evidence.”

“Maybe Congress, led by somebody like [Albay first district Rep.] Edcel Lagman should investigate why the documents are missing,” said Rosales, referring to the Presidential Commission on Good Government’s (PCGG) inability to produce the original documents as required by the “best evidence” rule of court.

The agency submitted only photocopies of the documents in three forfeiture cases against the Marcoses and their associates, leading to the cases’ dismissal.

Quoting former PCGG chair Haydee Yorac, Rosales said some individuals had removed the original documents, with one even caught in the act. She did not identify the individual, however.

“This is a betrayal of public trust,” Rosales said.