SC affirms Imelda acquittal in dollar salting cases

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) Third Division has denied the petition for review of a lower court decision acquitting former first lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos in 33 consolidated criminal cases involving $863 million deposited in several Swiss bank accounts.

In a 53-page decision, the SC Third Division denied the Petition for Review on Certiorari filed by the late former solicitor general Frank Chavez against Marcos.

SC Associate Justice Marvic Leonen penned the decision, promulgated last June 27 but released to the media only recently.

SC Third Division chairman Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr., and Associate Justices Lucas Bersamin, Samuel Martires and Francis Jardeleza concurred with the decision.

The SC resolved three issues: whether or not the petition should be dismissed for raising questions of fact; whether or not the May 28, 2007 decision of Manila Regional Trial Court  Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr. acquitting Marcos was issued in violation of an injunction; and whether or not Pampilo’s action was biased for Marcos.

The SC ruled that a petition for certiorari under Rule 45 should only pertain to questions of law.

“Essentially, petitioner takes issue with how the Court of Appeals interpreted the acts of Judge Pampilo and found no manifest partiality, which are clearly not questions of law. He did not even attempt to frame the issues as questions of law,” the SC said.

The high court also said the RTC decision did not violate the CA’s writ of injunction, which had already been dissolved when Pampilo issued his ruling.