MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division junked Civil Case 0024, one of the ill-gotten wealth cases against the late former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, and several others.聽
The 156-page decision promulgated February 21 but published on Wednesday, said that the case was dismissed because of the prosecutor鈥檚 failure to present sufficient evidence.
Other than the Marcoses, the co-accused include Peter Sabido, Luis Yulo, Nicolas Dehasa, Don Ferry, and Rafael Sison. The plaintiff is the Republic of the Philippines.聽
鈥淭his case for reversion, reconveyance, and accounting against defendants Peter A. Sabido, Luiz A. Yulo, Nicola Dehasa, Ferdinand E. Marcos, Rafael Sison, and Don. M. Ferry is dismissed for failure of the plaintiff to prove by preponderance of evidence the material allegations contained in the amended complaint,鈥� said the Sandiganbayan in the decision.聽聽
The decision went on to say that the defense鈥檚 weakness was not enough and that the prosecution should have presented more substantial evidence.聽聽聽聽
鈥淭he totality of evidence against the above-named defendants failed to show the alleged schemes and strategies employed by the herein defendant to hide the supposed ill-gotten wealth. Moreover, the evidence is lacking to show that the properties listed under Annex 1, are dummy or front corporations beneficially owned and controlled by the former President and his family,鈥� said the decision.聽
The wealth in question, in this case, is the Busuanga Properties in Palawan.聽
In October 2019,聽 the Sandiganbayan Second Division junked attempts to recover P1 billion worth of art, property and investments from the Marcos family.聽聽