CHR exec warns: Marcoses’ Sandigan victories may lead to historical revisionism

MANILA, Philippines – An official of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has warned that the string of victories by the Marcoses at the Sandiganbayan may lead to even more historical revisionism.

CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said the dismissal of civil cases filed against the heirs of the late former president Ferdinand Marcos may sway people into thinking that the abuses and the plunder that took place during the martial law years did not really happen.

“There might be a danger that the public might think that martial law never really happened, the atrocities committed is, for example, fake news,” De Guia said in an interview with reporters on Tuesday, on the sidelines of a CHR event at the University of the Philippines.

De Guia made that statement on Monday after the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division dismissed another civil case against the Marcoses  — making it the fourth victory out of five cases decided by the anti-graft court just in 2019.

The civil case stemmed from a Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) bid to recover money and other assets amassed by the Marcoses and their cronies. The case involved some P200 billion of alleged ill-gotten wealth.

With the dismissal of the P200-B forfeiture case against the Marcoses, their cronies were only ordered to return their shares invested in various companies, as these were sourced from Marcos’ plundered money.

READ: BREAKING: Sandiganbayan dismisses P200-B forfeiture case vs Marcoses

De Guia, a lawyer by profession, said that they understand and respect why Sandiganbayan had to dismiss the case even if it acknowledged the issues plaguing Marcos and his martial law rule.

The Sandiganbayan said the case was dismissed because the PCGG, which is under the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), did not use original documents as evidence, contrary to the Best Evidence Rule.

“Ito ‘yong challenge sa OSG at gayundin sa ating pamahalaan kung paano mailalaban yung mga remaining cases and to make sure it is not dismissed on mere technicality, at the same time for the government to continue raising awareness, because it is part of our history and it should not be depicted the way it is being shown right now,” De Guia said.

(The challenge for OSG and for the government is how to win on the remaining cases and to make sure it is not dismissed on mere technicality.)

Edited by MUF