SC affirms forfeiture of Marcoses' Malacañang jewelry collection

MANILA- The Supreme Court has affirmed a Sandiganbayan ruling in June 2014 in favor of the forfeiture of the so-called Malacañang Jewelry collection (Malacañang Collection) of the Marcos family.

In a 21-page decision dated January 18, 2016, penned by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, the high court ruled that it found "no reversible error in the ruling of the Sandiganbayan" over the seized jewelry collection, one of three forfeited collections, seized from the presidential palace after the 1986 People Power Revolution, and transferred to the Central Bank on March 1, 1986.

The anti-graft court issued a Partial Summary Judgment on January 13, 2014 and a resolution for the forfeiture of the collection on June 11, 2014, through a Special Division.

The high court said the Sandiganbayan was correct to grant the forfeiture in favor of government.

"[T]he Sandiganbayan correctly held that the forfeiture was justified and that the Malacañang Collection was subject to forfeiture.

"We reiterate what we have already stated in Republic vs Sandiganbayan, and subsequently in Marcos vs Republic, that 'whenever ang public officer or employee has acquired during his incumbency an amount of property which is manifestly out of proportion to his salary.... said property shall be presumed prima facie to be unlawfully acquired," the SC said.

Based on a 1991 valuation of auction house Christie, Manson and Woods Intl., Inc., the subject collection was US $110,055 to US $153,089.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Sandigan OKs transfer of Marcos paintings to National Museum

MANILA - The Sandiganbayan First Division has ordered the transfer of 15 paintings seized from former First Lady Imelda Marcos from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to the National Museum.

The BSP earlier manifested before the court that it does not have the capacity to maintain the paintings, which were brought to its custody after the Sandiganbayan seized them from the Marcoses.

The National Museum told the court that it has the "technical, curatorial and organizational expertise" for the proper care and management of the paintings.

Among the paintings are three versions of Michelangelo's Madonna and Child. The BSP said it cannot vouch for the authenticity of the paintings.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sandigan eyes 9 paintings in Imelda's office

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan is determined to recover nine prized paintings still in the possession of Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos.

The paintings, found in the office of Marcos at the House of Representatives, were among 24 artworks covered by a writ of attachment issued by the anti-graft court on Sept. 29.

The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) had seized 15 of the paintings from her family’s San Juan City residence.

Sandiganbayan sheriffs and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation, along with representatives of the PCGG and Office of the Solicitor General, failed to confiscate the artworks in Imelda’s office due to lack of clearance from the Office of the Speaker.

Romulo Barrozo, sheriff of the House of Representatives, placed the nine paintings under custodia legis by signing the back of each artwork and serving a duplicate copy of the writ of attachment on Mrs. Marcos’ chief-of-staff Filadelfo Diaz to prevent the same from being moved without court approval.

The nine paintings found in Marcos’ office are Michelangelo Buonarotti’s Madonna and Child; Vase of Red Chrysanthemums by Bernard Buffet; Still Life with Idol by Paul Gaugin; L’ Aube by Joan Miro; Femme Cauchee VI by Pablo Picasso; Jardin de Kew Prés de la Serre, 1892 by Camille Pissarro; La Baignade au Grand Lemps by Pierre Bonnard; Picnic (Grandma Moses) 1959 by Anne Mary Robertson; and Moon Madness 1982 by Andrew Wyeth.

The artworks now under the custody of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas include three Madonna and Child paintings; a Femme Au Chapeu (Woman in Hat); five Vase De Fleurs (Vase of Flowers), the Paysage; a Jeune Femme En Rouge; a Coupe De Fleurs, a Panier De Fruits and a Jeune Femme Shabilant “Chavalet,” all by Paule Gobillard, and a Picasso Replica Bass Strokes painting.

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source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bong to be detained in Camp Crame

Senator Ramon "Bong'' Revilla Jr. will be detained at the headquarters of the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame, the Sandiganbayan said.

The anti-graft court's first division, chaired by Associate Justice Efren dela Cruz, approved Revilla's request that he be detained in Camp Crame and released a commitment order for the senator's detention.

Revilla arrived in Camp Crame at around 1 p.m. and went straight to the PNP multi-purpose center to undergo processing.

PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac said Revilla underwent physical examination and had his fingerprints taken.

Mugshots will be taken afterwards, Sindac said.

Revilla will be detained at the PNP Custodial Center.

Revilla has filed a motion for bail before the Sandiganbayan. The anti-graft court will hear this motion on June 26, after Revilla's arraignment.

Revilla is accused of amassing P242 million from his pork barrel funds. He has denied the accusations, saying his signature in the pork barrel releases were forged.

Revilla's camp has asked the Supreme Court to reverse and annul the Office of the Ombudsman's resolutions that found probable cause against him, and junked his motion for reconsideration.

Revilla claimed the Ombudsman violated his right to due process, and the cases against him were born out of government's intent to persecute him. - reports from Johnson Manabat, dzMM; and Jenny Reyes, ABS-CBN News

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source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Imelda's Malacanang jewelry collection owned by gov't - court

MANILA - The Sandiganbayan has forfeited in favor of the government one of three Imelda Marcos jewelry collections called the Malacanang Collection.

The Sandiganbayan special first division said it was part of the Marcos ill-gotten wealth. A 33-page decision was penned by Associate Justice Efren de la Cruz.

The Malacanang Collection is the smallest collection compared to the Roumeliotes and Hawaii Collections. In a 1991 appraisal, the pieces were estimated to be worth $110,055 and $153,089.

The Roumeliotes Collection is composed of 60 pieces of extravagant jewelry and gemstones.

The Hawaii Collection, meanwhile, is the jewelry confiscated from the Marcoses when they arrived at the Honolulu International Airport after leaving the country during the People Power.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sandiganbayan urged to decide on Marcos jewels

MANILA, Philippine – The special division of the Sandiganbayan has been urged by government lawyers to resolve the forfeiture case involving jewelries confiscated from the Marcos family in 1986.

The “Malacañang Jewelry Collection," composed of sets of gems and baubles, are believed to be worth between $110,055 and $153,089.

The set of jewels was turned over the Central Bank after it was left abandoned in the Palace by the Marcoses.

Lawyers of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) earlier asked the graft court to declare the jewels forfeited in favor of the State.

The Marcos family, meanwhile, claimed that the motion for partial summary judgment filed by the government was improper because a first motion was denied on November 20, 1997.

On December 29, 2010, however, the graft court denied the Omnibus Motion of the Marcoses.

With the ruling, government lawyers said the Sandiganbayan can now decide on the ownership dispute.

"Verily, the proceeding to forfeit these assets by summary judgment is ripe for judicial determination and disposition," they said.

The lawyers argued that the jewels should go to the government because the total assets of the Marcoses previously forfeited by the courts were already well beyond their lawful income of $304,372.43 in 1986.

The government lawyers are: Assistant Solicitor General John Emmanuel F. Madamba; associate solicitors Moses V. Florendo and Camille R. Buhain; PCGG commissioners Richard R.T. Amurao and Ma. Ngina Teresa V. Chan-Gonzaga; and PCGG Legal Division chief Ma. Luisa M. Narvadez.

source: abs-cbnnews.com