Sandiganbayan orders jewelry seizure; nixes Imelda’s motion for reconsideration

Imelda Marcos (Photo: http://en.wikicollecting.org)

MANILA, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan threw out the motion for reconsideration filed by former first lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos and her daughter Irene Marcos-Araneta against the order to seize the Malacañang jewelry collection.

In a decision set forth on June 11, the anti-graft court stated: “A perusal of the respondents-movants’ motions for reconsideration will show that the arguments set forth therein are a mere rehash or reiteration of the arguments contained in their comments and opposition to the Republic’s motion for partial summary judgment, which the Court had already judiciously considered and thoroughly passed upon in the challenged partial Summary Judgment, dated Jan. 13, 2014.”

The jewelry collection, estimated to be worth millions of pesos, was ordered seized by the Sandiganbayan on Jan. 13, under Civil Case No. 0141, as part of the “ill-gotten wealth” of the Marcoses.

In 1991, the Malacañang collection was appraised at between $110,055 and $153,089.  It is the least valuable among the collections thus far seized by authorities.