MANILA — Members of the Makabayan bloc said they were dismayed by the Supreme Court's acquittal of Imelda Marcos, the president's mother, of seven counts of graft.
The Sandiganbayan convicted the former first lady in 2018 of "using her Cabinet position to maintain Swiss bank accounts during the Marcos regime" and sentenced her to a minimum of six months and a year in prison.
"This is yet another victory for impunity in this country," ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. Antonio Tinio said.
SC acquits Imelda Marcos after reversal of 2018 graft conviction
'DOES NOT ERASE ABUSES'
He and Gabriela Women's Party Rep. Sarah Elago said the High Court ruling does not erase the abuses committed during the Marcos Sr. dictatorship nor hundreds of billions recovered from the Marcoses and their cronies over the decades.
"Ang mga biktima ay totoong tao. Ang mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao ay totoong nangyari, at ang nakaw na yaman ay yaman ng taumbayan," Elago added.
(The victims are real people. The human rights violations really happened, and the ill-gotten wealth is the people's money.)
He said the acquittal shows the justice system is too weak to convict and imprison "the biggest plunderers."
He added: "Hindi magandang pangitain ito na ang isang malaking isda sa corruption sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas ay na-acquit."
(That a big fish in the history of corruption in the Philippines was acquitted is not a good sign.)
Amid this development, Tinio called for vigilance in efforts to hold accountable those involved in flood control anomalies. — Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News