On July 20, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will personally hand out cash incentives to over 500 national athletes at the Malacañang Palace.

This gesture acknowledges their exceptional achievements at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) and 12th ASEAN Para Games (APG) recently held in Cambodia.

“We appreciate President Marcos’ decision to personally reward Team Philippines, which demonstrates his admiration for our national athletes and their unwavering passion and commitment to representing our country,” said Richard Bachmann, Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

As stipulated in Republic Act 10699, or the Expanded National Athletes and Coaches Incentives and Benefits Act, the PSC will allocate approximately P60 million for the SEAG medalists and P14 million for the APG medalists in cash bonuses.

According to the law, SEA Games gold medalists will receive P300,000, silver medalists will receive P150,000, and bronze medalists will receive P60,000.

(ai/mnm)

MANILA – The Sandiganbayan has thrown out a case alleging the acquisition of ill-gotten wealth by former president Ferdinand E. Marcos, former first lady Imelda Marcos, and several other individuals due to insufficient evidence.

According to the court’s second division, the prosecution failed to present convincing evidence to support the charges that the properties and assets in question were unlawfully obtained.

The case was initially filed in 1987 by the Presidential Commission on Good Government.

The co-respondents in Civil Case 0014 alongside the Marcoses were Modesto Enriquez, Trinidad Diaz-Enriquez, Rebecco Panlilio, Erlinda Enriquez-Panlilio, Leandro Enriquez, Don Ferry, Roman Cruz Jr., and Gregorio Castillo.

Former President Marcos passed away in 1989.

In its ruling, the court stated that “the evidence provided by the plaintiff did not sufficiently establish, by preponderance of evidence, a valid cause of action against the defendants.”

The properties in question include Fantasia Filipina Resorts Inc., Hotel Properties Inc., Monte Sol Development Corp., Ocean Villas Condominium Corp., Olas del Mar Development Corp., Philippine Village Hotel, Philroad Construction Corp., Puerto Azul Beach and Country Club Inc., Silahis International Hotel, Sulo-Dobbs Food Services Inc., and Ternate Development Corp.

“In particular, the plaintiff failed to prove that the subject properties were ‘ill-gotten,’ namely, (1) that the properties and assets listed in Annex ‘A’ of the Amended Complaint originated from the government, and (2) that they were acquired by the individual defendants through illegal means or by exploiting their close relationship with Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos,” the court explained.

Furthermore, during the trial, the defendants maintained that “they obtained ownership of the subject corporations through legal means and not as cronies or proxies of the Marcoses.”

“It is important to emphasize that the defendants’ assertions remained unchallenged by the plaintiff throughout the trial,” the court noted. “Considering the lack of substantial evidence supporting the conclusion that the subject properties were indeed ill-gotten wealth, the Court cannot simply order their return to the national treasury.” (ai/mtvn)

Former President Ferdinand Marcos (Bloomberg photo courtesy)

MANILA — The Sandiganbayan’s Second Division has rejected a civil case filed against the late President Ferdinand Marcos and several other individuals.

In a 45-page decision issued on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, the court ruled on Civil Case 0014.

Following the passing of the former president in 1989, he was substituted by his heirs. Defendants Leandro Enriquez and Erlinda Enriquez Panlilio substituted spouses Modesto Enriquez and Trinidad Diaz-Enriquez, while Rebecca Panlilio was substituted by her spouse and heirs. Similarly, Roman Cruz Jr. was substituted by his heirs.

The case alleged that Modesto Enriquez, Trinidad Diaz-Enriquez, Rebecca Panlilio, Erlinda Enriquez-Panlilio, Leandro Enriquez, Roman Cruz Jr., and Don Ferry, who was also a defendant, were close business associates of the late President Marcos and Imelda Marcos. It was claimed that they took advantage of their close relationship with Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, acting as their proxies, nominees, or agents to unlawfully appropriate commercial interests, control several corporations, and acquire properties, specifically those listed in Annex ‘A’ of the Amended Complaint.

However, the court found that the plaintiff “failed to provide evidence establishing that the subject properties were ‘ill-gotten,’ namely: (1) that the subject properties and assets listed in Annex ‘A’ of the Amended Complaint originated from the government, and (2) that they were acquired by the individual defendants through illegal means or by exploiting their close relationship with Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.”

During the trial, the individual defendants strongly asserted that they legitimately obtained ownership of the subject corporations and were not mere cronies or proxies of the Marcoses. The plaintiff failed to rebut these claims throughout the trial.

Consequently, the court concluded, “In the absence of sufficient evidence indicating that the subject properties were indeed ill-gotten wealth, the Court cannot simply order their return to the national treasury.”

(ai/mtvn)