(UPDATED) A YouTube video claims that the Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed an ill-gotten wealth case against the Marcoses.
Not true.
On June 27, the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division, not the SC’s Second Division, dismissed Civil Case No. 0014 against former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., former first lady Imelda Marcos, and eight other alleged associates.
The next day, CNN Philippines reported on the Sandiganbayan Second Division’s 45-page decision to dismiss the case. Days later, a video emerged and its narrator distorted CNN Philippines’ report by replacing the word “Sandiganbayan” with “Supreme Court.”
Sandiganbayan is a special anti-graft court which has jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases against public officials. The Supreme Court is the highest court in Philippine jurisprudence, which reviews and decides on decisions made by lower courts, including the Sandiganbayan.
On July 2, YouTube channel Pinas News Insider (created on Dec. 26, 2015) uploaded a video titled:
“JUST NOW : OMG! mga AQUINO at MEDIA NANLUMO KORTE PANALO NA PRES BBM NABAWI NA LAHAT ng KAYAMANAN!”
(Just now: Oh my gosh! The Aquinos and the media were depressed [as the Marcoses won in court] President [Bongbong Marcos] recovered all their wealth)
The claim is false. In two decisions dated January 25 and May 4, the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth and Third Divisions, respectively, denied the Marcoses’ motion to recover assets previously sequestered as ill-gotten wealth.
Filed on July 22, 1987 by the Presidential Commission on Good Government, civil case No. 0014 sought to recover assets and properties that were allegedly ill-gotten or accumulated through grave abuse of right and power.
The High Court had ruled in 2003, 2012, and 2017 that the Marcoses have ill-gotten wealth. (Read: VERA Files Fact Check: FALSE claims on Marcos wealth and cases reappear)
The erroneous video got a total of 67,000 views and 4,100 interactions on YouTube. It appeared four days after the Sandiganbayan rendered its decision.
(Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Nov. 9, 2023 to correct the headline. An earlier version incorrectly stated that the Supreme Court, not the Sandiganbayan, dismissed the ill-gotten wealth case against the Marcoses. We apologize for the error.)
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