lmelda urges Sandigan to rejilct evidenbe ain artworks
ELIZABETH MARCELO discovered
Former fust lady and outgo-
J Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda
ircos has asked^the San-
diganbayan to reject several
documentary exhibits prcsented
bv the Presidential Commission
on Good Govemment (PCGG)
over a decades-long trial of a
civil forfeiture case that seeks.
to recover dbout 200 artworks
bility as evidence of several doc-
uments offered by the PCGG,
including the list of artworks
that supposedly remain miss-
ing as well the lists of paintings
'discovered at Goldenberg and
Teus mansions in San Miguel,
Manila and at the Metrcpoliian
Museum of Manila- and those
dbroad. on the authenticity of videos when the PCGG, represented were sold by the auction house The artworks, howeveg, arr
The Marcoses said the lists and photographs being pre- by the Office of the Solicitor Christie's by virtue of an order also subject of a pending forfei
presented by the PCGG were sented as evidence. General (OSG), was able to from a New York court. ture case at the Sandiganbayar
just mere photocopies, without "No photographer or any finish the presentation of evi- Claimants 1081, a group Special First Division.
the presentation of the original other competent witness testi- dence against the Marcoses in composed of over 9,000 hu- In 2014, the Special Firsi
ones, which the commission fied to its exactness and accu- connectio;r with a forfeiture man rights victims during Division had awarded in favo;
supposedly oeated in the 1980s. racy. Thus, these photographs case docketed as Civil Case martial law and the PCGG arE of the govemment the jewe\
Furthermore, the defense and.videos were not properly No.0141 filed in 1991. both claimants in a civil case collection of the Marcoses wi*
said the lists do not indicate the presented and authenticated Among the items that the pending before the US Federal assessed value of $110,055 tc
dates when the artworks were before this Court under the PCGG sought to be forfeited Court in New York City which $153,089. The collection war
suppogedly acquired, making Rules for Electronic Evidence," in tavor of the government seeks to recover about 200 also part of Civil Case No.0141"
the documents irrelevant in the Marcoses' opposition pa- were 152 paintings in the US pieces of painiings and other The jewelry were discov
proving that these were ac- per read.
' The with an estimated value of artworks allegedly purchased ered at Malacafrang when tht
iluired ?uring the Marcoses' defendants also ob- $11.84 milliorL 27 paintings using public iundi iluring the Marcos family fled"to Hawai
incumbencies as public officers. jected to the admissibilil.y of and sculptures discovered at z0-yeal rule of the late diciator after the 198o People Powe:
The Ivfarcoses also odected to photocopies of letters of cor- the sequestered Metropolitan Marcos. revolt.
ihe admissibilily of the compact respondence in the early 1980s Museum of Manila with an
disc (CD) containing the pho- between Mrs. Marcos and her assessed value of $548,445 and
tographs and video footage of late husband Ferdinand Mar- 12 paintings by American artist
the supposed ocular inspectioncos with American business- Anna Mary "Grandnla Moses"
of the Goldenberg Marsiorl as men Armand Hammer and Robertson said to have been
well as news reports showing Richard Lynch of Hammer purchased at around $37?000.
the paintings being displayed Galleries in New York. Early this year, the OSG
by Mrs. Maicos hersel{.
^ "Respondents deny the inform6d the Sandiganbayan
The Marcoses said the per- authenticity of the said exhib- that three of the paintings
sons who took the photos and its. No iustification was made covered bv Civil Case No. 0141
videos were neveJ presented why th6 originats could not be were sold at auction in New
in court, in violation of the presented before the Sandigan- York City in November last
Supreme Court ruling that a bayan," the Marcospaper read. year for more than $3 million.
competent witness must testify It was in December last year The OSG said the paintings
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