Rhodina Villanueva, November 10, 2021, www.onenews.ph
The Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto said in the interest of justice for all victims of human rights violations during the martial law period, the Supreme Court should make former first lady Imelda Marcos pay for her crimes.
Martial law victims and survivors have appealed to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Nov. 9, to affirm former first lady Imelda Marcos’ conviction by the Sandiganbayan and to send her to jail.
In a letter addressed to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, SELDA or the Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto said, “In the interest of justice for all victims of human rights violations during the martial law period, we again appeal to this honorable Court to affirm Mrs. Imelda Marcos’ conviction by the Sandiganbayan. We call on the sense of truth and justice of members of this honorable Court and decide with dispatch to dismiss Mrs. Marcos’ appeal.”
SELDA issued the request to the high court during the third anniversary of Marcos’ conviction for seven counts of graft by the Sandiganbayan.
“We suffered during the Marcos conjugal dictatorship and we continue to suffer as we continue to see that Imelda is out of jail, out of accountability. The dictator’s widow continues to live the life, not sickly and dirt poor, as she receives all the geriatric care she wants and needs using all the wealth from the people’s pockets accumulated in their more than two decades of power and might,” Danilo dela Fuente, SELDA vice chairman, said.
It has been three years since Marcos was convicted for seven counts of graft by the Sandiganbayan for illegally funneling at least $352 million to Swiss foundations in the 1970s when she was governor of Metropolitan Manila.
Marcos was, however, allowed to post bail amounting to P300,000 and has also filed an appeal before the high court regarding her conviction.
“The Sandiganbayan decision must be upheld. The amassing of ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses are among the reasons why the nation has sunk deeper into poverty, ballooning debt and crisis. As long as there is ill-gotten wealth that remains in the hands of the Marcoses, we will continue to demand the return of all that were stolen from the Filipino people from the nation’s coffers. We will not allow more of that through another Marcos in the person of Ferdinand, Jr.,” Dela Fuente said.
SELDA had inquired about the status of Marcos’ appeal last year addressed to then chief justice Diosdado Peralta. There remains no action regarding the inquiry, as well as the appeal.
“We urge the Supreme Court not to be accessory to the Marcoses’ continuing grand deception and escape from accountability. In his recent statements, the dictator’s son Ferdinand Jr., brags as the one who will bring progress and development to the country. A dictator father, a tax evader son, a mother convicted of graft – this is a family who should be brought by the high court down to the darkest annals of history,” Dela Fuente said.
