Sandiganbayan nearing decision on P200-B forfeiture case vs Marcoses

After declaring Imelda Marcos guilty, the anti-graft Sandiganbayan is nearing resolution of another case against the Marcoses: forfeiture of P200-billion from the family.

The case enrolled as Civil Case No. 0002 filed in 1987 by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) against former first lady Imelda Marcos, her children Imee, Bongbong and Irene was already submitted for decision last August.

The Marcoses and the government have submitted their respective memoranda containing the summary of their arguments, testimonies of witnesses and documentary evidence presented in the course of the trial, which lasted about 20 years.



Fourth Division records show that the PCGG, represented by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), filed its memorandum on May 8, 2018 while the Marcoses filed their memorandum on July 31, 2018.

The PCGG filed the civil suit in July 1987; the information of the case has undergone three amendments until 1998.

Based on the amended case information, the Marcoses illegally amassed from government coffers a total of P200 billion during the martial law regime.



The PCGG said the Marcoses also obtained massive loans, guarantees and other types of financial accommodations from government banks through overpriced projects; received kickbacks, commissions and bribes from persons and corporations entering into contracts with the government; established monopolies in commerce particularly in agriculture and gambling; and illegal sale of various government corporations and properties.

The PCGG also accused that the Marcos couple stashed the illegally acquired wealth in several banks locally and abroad, as well as in several foundations. The PCGG said the couple used the funds in the purchase of real estate and shares of stocks.

Among the supposed ill-acquired assets of the Marcoses identified by the PCGG in its complaints were deposits at the Security Bank and Trust (P976 million) and Traders Royal Bank (P711 million); 33 parcels of residential properties with an estimated value of P18 million and a 21,700-hectare agricultural land in Leyte with estimated value of P33 million; shares of stock in Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) estimated at P1.6 billion; deposits in several banks in the United States estimated at $292 million; investments in financial houses, industrial and mining corporations in the US at approximately $98 million; as well as unvalued real properties in Manhattan, Long Island and Fifth Avenue in New York, a penthouse in London, residential houses in Honolulu in Hawaii, Beverly Hills in California and Cedars in Mississippi.

Apart from seeking the forfeiture from Mrs. Marcos and her children a total of P200 billion in actual damages representing the alleged ill-gotten wealth, the PCGG is also praying to the court to order the Marcoses to reimburse the government P250 million representing the expenses incurred in its efforts to recover the wealth.

Likewise, the PCGG is seeking P50 billion in moral damages and P1 billion in exemplary damages. The PCGG said the Marcoses must also be compelled to pay temperate damages, nominal damages and other judicial costs, the amounts of which will be set by the court.

Civil Case No. 0002 is among the 43 civil cases that PCGG filed at the Sandiganbayan against Mrs. Marcos and her children since her husband’s ouster in 1986 through a people’s revolt.

The Sandiganbayan has dismissed 19 of the cases, one was indefinitely archived, while 23 others including Civil Case No. 0002 are pending. 

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Battered wives, children given ample protection under VAWC law

Consulate officials join the delegation from Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu City chapter and OFWs for the “Idulog Mo kay Atorni 7” forum at the Consulate on Nov 11.

By Vir B. Lumicao

Victims of domestic violence in the Philippines, specifically women and their children, can seek protection from an abusive husband or partner under Republic Act 9262 or the Violence against Women and Children Act.

RA9262, which became law in 2004, offers protection in a wide range of cases that fall within the definition of “violence against women and their children”, said lawyer Mark Anthony Gaviola, who discussed the legislation in the “Idulog Mo kay Atorni 7” forum at the Consulate on Nov 11.

The forum was organized by the PCG and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu City chapter as a legal outreach to members of the Filipino community in Hong Kong, particularly migrant workers.

Gaviola said the law, more popularly called VAWC, protects women and minor children under their care against physical, sexual, economic and psychological violence from their husbands, or any other party, including fellow women.

He said this is possible in cases of gender to gender or same-sex relationships in which a woman partner, or former partner, assaults the other and/or her children.

Victims of violence under the VAWC can seek relief through a barangay protection order valid for 15 days; a temporary protection order valid for 30 days; and a court protection order, which is permanent.

Gaviola said victims can sue for damages and file criminal cases for violation of the VAWC law. The offender may be imprisoned or made to pay PhP100, 000 to PhP 300,000 in damages.

A tricky side of the issue is protection for battered husbands because VAWC is intended only to protect women and children, Gaviola said.

However, the Supreme Court cleared the issue some years back when it ruled that remedies for battered men cannot be sought under VAWC but in the Revised Penal Code and other criminal laws, Gaviola said.

 “Kung ikaw ang lalaki, dapat maniguro ka rin, may babae rin kasing nag-aabuso ng VAWC. May cases kami na na-encounter na ang nagluluko ay ang babae at bago nakabalik ang asawa ay nag-file na ng protection order yung babae,” Gaviola said.

A victim, her parent or guardian, child or grandchild, relatives, local officials, police DSWD social workers;, lawyers; barangay councilors, therapists, health care providers or any two people from the community who know personally what happened can file for protection order.

Anyone who files for a protection order under VAWC must be personally present for the hearings, said Gaviola. However, an overseas Filipino worker can ask another woman she has designated as her children’s guardian to apply for a protection order on her own.

The 14 lawyers led by Cebu City IBP president Jose Glenn Capanas held consultations on Nov 10 and 11 with OFWs who have marital issues, family abandonment and lack of support by husbands, and property disputes, among other problems.

The one-and-a-half-hour forum capped the two-day mission, held simultaneously at the Consulate and at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office.

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Pregnant Pinay seeks compensation for dismissal

By Vir B. Lumicao

A 44-year-old pregnant Filipina helper and her former employer have failed to settle their dispute in the Labour Tribunal when the latter insisted only on $10,000 as settlement, prompting the officer to set the case down for trial next year.

That means a long wait with an uncertain outcome for the claimant, Alma (not her real name), who is seven months pregnant and due to give birth on Jan 24.

Presiding officer Eric Tam told Alma and her former employer Ng Fong Yu Fanny on Nov 2 to return on Apr 21 next year and argue their cases in another court.

Tam directed them to each present a witness who can support their claim that it was the other party who terminated their work contract.

He gave them until Dec 15 to submit additional statements.

The helper said she would be asking her employment agent to be her witness while the defendant said she would ask her brother to give evidence for her.

The Filipina is claiming a $14,500 compensation including arrears in wages, one month’s wage in lieu of notice, paid maternity leave and the $4,500 security deposit that the court ordered the defendant to put up.

In a counterclaim, the employer is seeking from the maid $9,000 representing one month’s wage in lieu of notice and damages allegedly due to the claimant’s abrupt departure on Aug 30 that left the employer’s ailing elderly father without any caregiver.

The Filipina insisted it was the employer who ordered her out of the house at the height of an argument that night over where the helper’s coming baby would stay.

The defendant denied sending the maid away. She said she was even very happy about her pregnancy.

“You said you were very happy about her pregnancy, but you told her you can’t accept the baby in your house?” the presiding officer blurted.

The employer denied that, but Tam replied, “You sent her a lot of warning letters.”

The defendant told the court she had a video to prove it was the Filipina who insisted to leave while the employer was asking her to stay.

But the maid said that video was just made up by the employer, who allegedly pretended to beg her to stay in front of police officers whom she had called.

At the hearing, Tam called for a break four times in a vain attempt to get the parties to settle. At the third break, he sent them to the tribunal officer to try to work out a deal.

When they returned, the employer agreed to drop her claims against the Filipina and upped her offer to $10,000. But the helper insisted on $10,500 plus the security deposit.

The presiding officer suggested that the employer raise her offer to $12,500 but both sides rejected this, prompting Tam to set the case for trial in April next year.

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Regalong iPhone8 sa matapat na Pinay

Tunay ngang nabibiyayaan ang mga matapat.

Ito ang napatunayan ni Melinda R. Monsalud, o Mhel sa kanyang mga kaibigan, nang agad niyang ibinalik sa may-ari ang napulot na pitaka na naglalaman ng tumataginting na $60,000 noong ika-7 ng Nobyembre.

Melinda R. Monsalud

Bilang ganti sa kanyang katapatan ay binigyan siya ng bagong-bagong iphone8 ng may-ari ng pitaka na isang Danish national.

Ang nakakabilib na kagandahang loob ni Mhel, na isang miyembro ng United Philippine Taekwondo Organization at walong taon nang nagtatrabaho sa Hong Kong, ang nagbunsod sa isa sa kanyang mga kaibigan na ipaabot sa The SUN ang nangyari.

Araw ng Miyerkules noon, at sakay si Mhel ng bus 5B pauwi sa bahay ng kanyang amo sa Pokfulam mula sa pagdalo sa pang araw-araw na “devotional prayer” sa kapilya ng Iglesia ng Cristo sa Sai Ying Pun nang mapansin niya ang pitaka sa upuan na katapat ng inuupuan niya sa dulo ng bus.

“Nagdalawang isip pa akong damputin dahil baka sakaling nasa loob pa ng bus ang may ari,” sabi niya.

Pero pagkalipas ng ilang minuto ay kinuha na raw niya ito at inisip na iabot sa drayber ng bus, pero naisip niyang mas mapapadali ang pagsauli sa may-ari kung may makikita siyang numero sa loob ng pitaka.

May nakita daw siyang calling card sa loob ng pitaka, at agad niyang tinawagan ang nakapangalan doon para ito na ang magsauli sa may-ari. Alam niya kasing hindi ito ang may-ari, dahil kasama ang pasaporte ng may-ari na ang apelyido ay Fraser at taga Denmark, sa mga dokumento sa pitaka.

“Ilang minuto lang po agad na may tumawag sa akin at yon na nga po ang mismong may ari. Sinabi ko sa kanya na makipagkita po ako sa kanya sa oras na yon (mga 11pm na ng gabi) para iabot na agad ang wallet nya. Noong magkaharap na kami ng may ari ay sinigurado ko na sya nga ang may ari base sa passport na nasa wallet din niya.”

Ayon sa may-ari, pa-suweldo daw ang pera kaya ganoon kalaki. Sinabi naman ni Mhel na nakabalumbon ng tig-$10,000 ang pera sa pitaka kaya madali niyang natantiya na $60,000 ang kabuuang halaga nito.

Pagkaabot niya ng pitaka ay sinabi ng may-ari na magkita silang muli kinabukasan [para sa “reward” niya pero hindi nagkaroon ng pagkakataon si Mhel dahil isang linggong walang pasok ang kanyang mga alaga na nag-aaral sa French International School.

Sa sumunod na Sabado na sila nagkasundong magkita muli.

Nang magkita sila ay muling nagpasalamat ang may-ari, sabay abot sa kanya ng isang iphone 8.

Sa tuwa ni Mhel ay agad siyang nag post tungkol sa nangyari, kasama ang litrato ng pitaka at ng iphone sa kanyang Facebook account, kaya nalaman ng ilan niyang kaibigan.

Pero ang hindi alam ng marami, hindi ito ang unang pagkakataon na nagsauli si Mhel ng mahalagang bagay na napulot niya. Mga dalawang buwan pa lang daw ang nakakalipas ay nakapulot siya ng iphone6 sa bus 5B din, habang pauwi siya sa bahay ng amo.

“Agad naman pong tumawag sa telepono ang may-ari, kaya naisauli ko din agad,” sabi ni Mhel.

Sa pagkakataong ito, isang malugod na pasasalamat ang ipinaabot sa kanya ng may-ari ng telepono na isang Intsik.

May pangatlong beses pa na nangyari ang ganito, nang isang pitaka din na may lamang $8,000 naman ang napulot ni Mhel sa escalator ng Central Library sa Causeway Bay.

May tarheta ang may-ari sa pitaka, kaya agad na natawagan ni Mhel para isauli ito.

“Nag selfie po kami ng may-ari na Intsik, habang hawak-hawak niya ang wallet,” sabi ni Mhel.

Wala ding pabuya na ibinigay sa kanya, pero ayon kay Mhel, sapat na yung malaking pasasalamat na ibinigay nila sa kanya.

Nang malaman ng kanyang simbahan ang tungkol sa pinakahuling pagpapatunay ni Mhel ng kanyang kabutihang loob ay pinarangalan din siya agad noong Linggo, ika-10 ng Nob.

Ayon sa kaibigan niya na si Mercy Permales, isa sa mga pinuno ng UPTO, tunay na kapuri-puri ang ginawa ni Mhel, na isang single mother sa dalawang anak, at tumutulong sa ina niya at iba pang kaanak na nasa Olongapo City.

“Nakaka inspire kasi may pinagdadaanan siya sa buhay noon pero hindi siya nagpadala sa demonyo,” sabi ni Permales. – Daisy CL Mandap 

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Caught in a landslide of real life and fantasy

By William Elvin Manzano*

Much like Queen frontman Freddie Mercury’s controversy-laden life and stardom, 20th Century Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody,  a much-hyped film intended to be a biopic of Mercury and the rest of Queen, was wrapped in intrigue and production chaos from the get-go. On top of a revolving door of directors supposed to be at the helm of the film’s process, reports revealed that the role of Freddie Mercury was to be played originally by actor Sacha Baron Cohen – famous for merciless satires such as Borat, Bruno, The Dictator and the TV show Who Is America? – who quit the film after creative differences with Brian May and Roger Taylor, the surviving members of Queen. During production, director Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men) was fired by the studio for bad behavior on the set, and was replaced by Dexter Fletcher (Eddie the Eagle).

Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury is flawless.

And, much like Freddie Mercury’s relentless spirit, the film not only survived but also soared to great heights, becoming one of the biggest global box office triumphs this year. In terms of mass appeal and marketability, the finished and released theatrical version of Bohemian Rhapsody was undoubtedly a success, its great weight singlehandedly carried by Rami Malek’s flawless performance as Mercury. Artistically, it is an ironically ultra-safe and sanitized portrayal of one of the most unconventional rock bands in pop music history, who were never afraid to experiment and break barriers both in their music and their lifestyle.

The movie makes it apparent early on that it is not intended to be an accurate, biographical piece, but rather a fictionalized and romanticized take on Queen’s illustrious music career. Using the band’s highly regarded Live Aid performance at the Wembley Stadium in 1985 as a narrative frame, the movie opens with Freddie Mercury letting out a few coughs, indicating the AIDS-related pneumonia that would take his life in 1991. (Fact: Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987, much later than is suggested in the film)

What followed in the next two hours were almost disjointed, tensionless vignettes that always seemed to rush to the next, only picked up and made a whole lot better by Malek’s outstanding presence and Queen’s ever-present music. The film’s biggest flaw is its flat, bland and lifeless screenplay by Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything), which made the people around Mercury seem like one-dimensional cardboard characters, especially the cinematic versions of guitarist Brian May (played by Gwilym Lee), drummer Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) and bassist John Deacon (Joseph Mazzello). The supporting characters only served to advance the plot, delivering cheesy and contrived-sounding lines, without adding any layer and nuance to the scenes.

The movie’s wonderful revelation is how the tragedy of Freddie Mercury, even with the most basic and unchallenging portrayal, never fails to capture hearts and minds. This is the story of a passionate man, a musical genius who did everything to erase his real history to create a larger-than-life, uncanny persona that shocked the world and made us feel uncomfortable, but at the same time forcing us all to fall in love with him. In the end, the life of sex, drugs and rock-and-roll he fully embraced and celebrated became his ultimate undoing, and knowing that it happened to a brilliant, fascinating man turns the narrative into both a cautionary tale and a heartbreaking parable.

Despite all its flaws, the film most importantly succeeds in introducing Queen’s magnificent music to a wider audience and a younger generation. At the end of the day, if Bohemian Rhapsody is inspiring the next batch of young musicians to pick up their instruments and aspire to reach the level of Mercury, May, Deacon and Taylor’s creativity, then it is significantly contributing something beautiful and hopeful to the world.

Rating: B- 

*William Elvin Manzano is a singer-songwriter and theater artist whose bread and butter is his job as a copywriter in a PR agency. He used to work with The SUN.

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