Sandigan junks another wealth case vs Marcoses

February 20, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has dismissed another civil suit against the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and his widow, former first lady Imelda Marcos, due to the failure of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to prosecute the case for nearly four decades.

In a 12-page resolution promulgated on Feb. 18, the court’s Second Division junked the PCGG’s claim for “actual, moral, temperate, nominal and exemplary damages” as well as the attorney’s fees against the Marcos spouses in relation to Civil Case 0032.

“In view of the attending circumstances, there is no question that plaintiff (PCGG) has failed to prosecute the case for an unreasonable length of time. As it is, the present complaint has clogged the docket of the Court for so long, and it can no longer be countenanced,” the Second Division’s resolution read.

The Sandiganbayan also emphasized that the case had been unresolved for so long that continuing with it was no longer acceptable.

“As the law and jurisprudence dictate, plaintiff’s unexplained inaction for more than four decades warrants the dismissal of the complaint against defendant Spouses Marcos,” it said.

The resolution was penned by newly appointed Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith Econg, chairperson of the Second Division. Associate Justices Edgardo Caldona and Arthur Malabaguio concurred with the ruling.

Civil Case 0032 was part of the wealth forfeiture case which the PCGG filed against the Marcos spouses and their alleged cronies in 1987, a year after the ousting of Marcos Sr. through the people power revolt.

The case seeks to recover billions of pesos worth of wealth allegedly amassed illegally by the Marcos spouses and their cronies during martial law. The suit was later subdivided by the Sandiganbayan into 43 cases.

Civil Case 0032, in particular, stemmed from the supposed illegal amassing of luxury vehicles by Fernando Timbol, then photographer of Marcos Sr.’s mother, Josefa Edralin-Marcos during martial law.

The PCGG argued that Timbol used his connection with the Marcos family to amass $121,403 worth of vehicles.