Imelda Marcos allowed to post bail
MANILA, Philippines — Anti-graft court Sandiganbayan on Friday has allowed convicted Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos to post bail for her temporary liberty.
Last week, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division found the widow of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos guilty beyond reasonable doubt of seven counts of graft.
The court allowed Marcos to post a P150,000 bail bond for her provisional liberty while the court is yet to decide on whether she would be allowed to file a post-conviction bond, according to a report from The STAR.
The court has also not yet ruled on whether the Ilocos Norte lawmaker would be allowed to file a motion for reconsideration on her conviction.
During the hearing on Friday, Imelda claimed that she was not aware that her graft cases were set for promulgation last week.
"If I knew about it your honor, I would have been here. Even if I was sick, I would have come here," Imelda told the court.
She further claimed that she only found out about the promulgation of her cases upon watching the news on television, adding that she was feeling ill when she woke up last Friday.
This reasoning, however, was not mentioned when her legal counsel filed for a Motion for Leave of Court to Avail of Post Conviction Remedies last Monday.
The former first lady had earlier claimed she was "suffering from multiple organ infirmities" on why she missed the reading of her verdict.
Despite her supposed health condition, Imelda was seen attending the birthday party of her daughter Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos in San Juan City hours after her conviction last week.
The court ordered Imelda to explain her absence during the promulgation of her graft cases. — with reports from Elizabeth Marcelo
The Sandiganbayan 5th Division finds former first lady and current Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos guilty of seven counts of graft for using her Cabinet position to maintain Swiss bank accounts during the Marcos regime.
She is sentenced to imprisonment of six years and one month to 11 years for each count with perpetual disqualification from public office.
The decision came nearly three decades since it was filed in 1991 by the Office of the Ombudsman.
The Sandiganbayan has granted the request of Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos to post bail and file post-conviction remedies, which include elevating her graft conviction to the Supreme Court.
The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court rules it is premature of Rep. Imelda Marcos (Ilocos Norte), former first lady of the Philippines, to appeal her graft conviction before the Supreme Court.
JUST IN | The Sandiganbayan rules as “premature” the appeal of Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos seeking the reversal of her graft conviction before the Supreme Court. (via @PhilippineStar / Michael Punongbayan) pic.twitter.com/06HABMzhW7
— ONE News PH (@onenewsph) November 27, 2018
Earlier Tuesday, Rep. Marcos had filed a notice of appeal at the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division asking it to forwards the records of her case to the Supreme Court.
This, despite her pending motion before the court for leave to avail of post-conviction remedies.
Imelda Marcos and her children Imee and Bongbong refuse to answer media queries on the Sandiganbayan's finding that they benefited from the money traced in the private Swiss foundations used to funnel ill-gotten wealth.
Mrs. Marcos and her children Imee and Bongbong refused to answer media queries on the Sandiganbayan's finding that they benefitted from the money traced in the private Swiss foundations @PhilippineStar pic.twitter.com/OX7NYqUC1j
— Elizabeth T. Marcelo (@marcelo_beth) November 16, 2018
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Associate Justice Lagos also grilled Imelda Marcos over the sudden change of her reasons for failing to attend the promulgation. Marcos initially claimed that she failed to attend the proceeding because she was "indisposed" due to "multiple organ infirmities."
In a sworn affidavit submitted to the court yesterday, however, Mrs. Marcos claimed that she failed to attend the promulgation as she was not aware of it. — Elizabeth Marcelo
Imelda Marcos was confronted by Sandiganbayan 5th Division chairman Associate Justice Lagos about attending her daughter Imee's birthday party on the night after she was convicted. She said Imee was "crying and begging" her to attend the party. — Elizabeth Marcelo
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