Imelda Marcos wants to bring graft conviction to the SC

FILE: Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos (Photo by Alaric A. Yanos via Ilocos Norte/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos filed a notice of appeal, informing the anti-graft court that she wants to bring her graft conviction to the Supreme Court (SC).

According to the notice of appeal filed before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Monday, the congresswoman “requests the records of the instant case be forwarded to the Supreme Court for further proceedings.”

The camp of Marcos decided to elevate the case to the high court as the Sandiganbayan’s decision contradicts the truth.

“To date, the motion for leave filed by the accused has not yet been resolved.

With due respect, the accused submits that the decision convicting her is contrary to facts, law and jurisprudence,” it said.

On November 12, Marcos filed a motion for leave to avail of post-conviction remedies justifying her absence on the promulgation of the guilty verdict against her by the Sandiganbayan.

Explaining her non-appearance, the 89-year-old congresswoman earlier said that she is suffering from “multiple organ infirmities” and was “under strict orders from her physician to refrain from stressful conditions that will put her at risk for heart and brain attack and recurrence of seizure.”

[READ: Marcos says she is suffering from ‘multiple organ infirmities’]

The anti-graft court has yet to decide on Marcos’s request for post-conviction remedies.

The former first lady was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of seven counts of graft due to her “financial interests and participation in the management of private foundations in Switzerland” while holding a government position during her late husband’s term, former President Ferdinand Marcos.

She was sentenced to imprisonment from six years and one month up to 11 years for each count of graft, and that she is also perpetually disqualified from holding any public office.

Despite this, the Marcos matriarch was granted bail of P150,000 for her temporary liberty, which she immediately posted.

The Sandiganbayan, meanwhile, earned the ire of several lawmakers due to this.

[READ: Lawmakers denounce Imelda Marcos bail grant]