Seizure of Imelda Marcos’ San Juan assets ordered

former First Lady Imelda Marcos INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Sandiganbayan has moved to seize three pieces of property of former First Lady Imelda Marcos in favor of the Presidential Commission on Good Government which has been seeking to collect at least P43.8 million from the estate of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos since 1987.

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division issued an alias writ of execution against the Ilocos Norte lawmaker’s property on P. Guevarra corner Maude streets (864 square meters); on Don Mariano Marcos St. (1,584 sqm), and on Claro M. Recto (932 sqm), all in Maytunas, San Juan, on PCGG’s motion.

In a September 2010 ruling on Civil Case No. 0029, the antigraft court ordered the estate of the late President and Imelda Marcos to reconvey P10 million to the government.

It ruled that the P10 million was illegally transferred from the NFA’s account with the Philippine National Bank to a private account at the Security Bank. It said that then NFA Administrator Jesus Tanchanco’s testimony that Marcos directly ordered the transfer was sufficient to establish the allegations in the complaint even though the transaction was concealed.

The interest of the P10 million has ballooned to P33.8 million as of September this year.  This is on top of the P1.95 million in damages, attorney fees, and litigation expenses that the PCGG is seeking from the Marcos’ estate.

The PCGG filed the case in 1987 a year after the Marcoses went into exile in Hawaii. The following year, the antigraft court declared the Marcos couple in default for failing to answer to the complaint.

The Sandiganbayan served the writ on Marcos at her office in the House of Representatives and her home at Don Mariano Marcos in Maytunas in San Juan on the third week of September, and demanded full payment of the amount from her.

On October 13, the Sandiganbayan sheriff and the PCGG filed a notice of levy on Marcos’ property with the Register of Deeds in San Juan.