marcos By Patricia Laurel Like·Comment Next Library of Most Controversial Files Those Who Forget the Past Are Condemned to Repeat it! THE DOWNFALL OF A GOOD LEADER IS THE RISE OF MEDIOCRACY IN THE PHILIPPINES, PERPETUATED BY THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ELITES TO SUITES THEIR PERSONAL BUSINESS AGENDAS TO OUST MARCOS USING THE MEDIOCRE FILIPINO MASS _________________________________________ CLEANSING AND VINDICATION OF THE GOOD NAME OF LATE PRESIDENT FERDINAND E. MARCOS - An Update News Report In the first place, the Late President Ferdinand E. Marcos and members of his family were wronged by then, Late President Corazon C. Aquino and her cohorts when she was catapulted to Malacanang after EDSA People Power Revolution in February, 1986. All sorts of stones of accusations and name callings were pelted against Mr. Marcos. There were silent emotions of sympathy in favor of the media degraded/downgraded Marcos family then, and until now, however, not so much as one may observe. The dismissal on June 16, 2011 of the ill-gotten wealth case of Mr. & Mrs. Ferdinand E. Marcos and then, Energy Min. Geronimo Velasco filed by the Philippine Commission on Good Government (PCGG) at the Philippine Anti-Graft Court(SANDIGAN BAYAN) is indeed, instrumental in the cleansing and vindication of the good name and honor of the late President Marcos and his family The quoted judgment below as lifted from a reliable source (Yahoo News-PDI/ANN) sufficiently clears the airways of everyone’s understanding: "...Judgement is hereby rendered dismissing the case against all the defendants herein for failure of the plaintiff to prove by preponderance of evidence the causes of action against the defendants with respect to ill-gotten wealth," read the decision penned by Associate Justice Rafael Lagos and concurred in by Associate Justices Rodolfo Ponferrada and Efren de la Cruz, division chair. An Update News Report When Marcos was deposed on February 25, 1986, it is very sorry to note that mediocracy reigned in the Philippines as fully described in the following line. “@The downfall of a good leader is the rise of Mediocracy in the Philippines, a.k.a “People Power”, perpetuated by the International Business Elites to suit their personal business agendas and to oust out Marcos using the mediocre Filipino mass. I pity much Marcos, because he was not justified and acknowledged for what he have done good to the Filipinos in his past administrations but remembered as useless and evil Philippine president ever live. This is definitely INJUSTICE. Is “People Power” worth remembering against a former good leader? Michael Punongbayan’s news report(Court junks P51-B suit vs Marcoses”, AP/Philstar; Sat, Jan 21, 2012} is very significant because it came at a time long enough before the entire nation will celebrate the world famous 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary during the current. It unveiled the thick blanket of hatred, rancor and animosity against the object of said revolution, the late president Ferdinand E. Marcos, his family and some members of his official family during his 20 years reign. Punongbayan reported that “the Sandiganbayan junked yesterday a P51-billion damage suit filed 25 years ago against deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos, his widow Imelda, two other former officials, and several others accused of dollar salting”. The anti-graft court, Punongbayan further reported , “The Sandiganbayan, in a ruling penned by Associate Justice Samuel Martires, cited the “absence of evidence” and said the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) failed to prove that the Marcoses and their co-accused had enriched themselves by stealing government money”. For better appreciation and understanding on the matter, “The case, filed on July 23, 1987, held that the Marcoses and their officials conspired with private individuals – including eight Chinese businessmen who acted as operators, financiers, couriers and agents – in managing and operating the Binondo Central Bank. The operation allegedly involved the buying of US dollars in the black market and the direct shipment of dollar stocks to Hong Kong where they were sold and traded at higher prices without prior clearance and authority from the Central Bank of the Philippines and without payment of fees, charges, and taxes to the government. The complaint accused the respondents of “misappropriation and theft of public funds, plunder of the nation’s wealth, extortion, blackmail, bribery, embezzlement and other acts of corruption, betrayal of public trust, and brazen abuse of power, at the expense and to the grave and irreparable damage of plaintiff and the Filipino people”, explained Punongbayan. Based on the case, Punongbayan said, “Ongpin and Vinnie James Yu, assistant general manager of the Marcos-era National Development Authority, conspired with the Marcoses for the creation of joint venture Triad Asia Limited (TAL) with Triad Holding Corp. (THL). The joint venture was entitled to government equity of $500,000 but Ongpin allegedly infused $10,640,000 instead, using National Development Corp. (NDC) and Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corp. (PASAR) resources. The Chinese businessmen linked to the case said they were forced to invest in the government’s Task Force Luntian whose purported objective was to tap market forces to stabilize the peso. They said they were arrested, threatened, coerced and confined in a military camp by civilian and military agents of the Marcos government, forcing them to pool their money for the scheme”. It is very clear in its ruling that, “the Sandiganbayan said that those accused of being organizers, partners, capitalists and couriers of the Binondo Central Bank were not even involved or had nothing to do with the joint venture agreement with THC or TAL” Punongbayan said. As quoted from Punongbayan, “In fact, there is not a single allegation in the complaint as regards the participation of defendant Fabian Ver in the investment made by the Philippine government with Triad Asia Ltd.,” the decision read. Resolving the accusation that Marcos et.al abused their power to enrich themselves, Punongbayan stated,“How the defendants Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda Marcos, Fabian Ver, Roberto Ongpin and Vinnie James Yu ‘abused their power to enrich themselves’ by reason of the joint venture with Triad Holding Corp., the complaint does not show,” the anti-graft court said. Furthermore, “The same absence of allegation exists on how defendants Ongpin, Ver, Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda Marcos, and Arturo Pacificador earned and/or acquired ill-gotten wealth from the management and operations of the Binondo Central Bank, as well as the amount of money that they earned, and the nature and description of the properties that they acquired from their alleged earnings in the operations of the Binondo Central Bank,” the decision read. Martires, in concurring with Sandiganbayan Special Second Division Chair Teresita Diaz-Baldos and Associate Justice Napoleon Inoturan, said the money invested by the government in the joint venture with THC was actually fully recovered by the NDC in 1986 and in 1989 with interest and cost of arbitration, Punongbayan said. Other salient points of the decision: 1. “A mere allegation is not enough. It must be supported by proof, otherwise it will just remain a story,” the magistrates said, referring to OSG’s and PCGG’s allegations. 2. “Indeed, plaintiff Republic failed to present evidence to prove its claims,” the Sandiganbayan said. 3. Others cleared were Raffy Chua, Wilson Chua, Guy Siu Sim, Arturo Pacificador, Sally See, Go Pok, Sio Lim, Balbino Diego, Peter Uy, Edna Camcam, Jimmy Chua, Benito Penalosa and Catalino Coo. 4. The anti-graft court also junked the cases against Wyrlo Ver, Faida Ver Resureccion, Irwin Ver, Rexor Ver, Helma Ver Tuason for “insufficient evidence.” 5. The Sandiganbayan also cancelled the sequestration order issued by the PCGG against the properties of the defendants in Quezon City, Antipolo City, Binangonan, Rizal, and Tagaytay. The landmark junking of the case 26 years after the bloodless revolution and 25 years since it was filed with the graft court has finally ended the waiting for substantive evidences which did not come to prove all the accusations. For a quarter of a century, the principal defendant Marcos had suffered every kind of ridicule, insult, and name calling local and international media have had heaped on him. Finally, the cleansing of his name by virtue of the court’s decision has come after long years of being hated, maligned, insulted and ostracized. Marcos, long time dead and now resting in peace in an air conditioned crypt in his hometown of Batac, Ilocos Norte must be happy about such dismissal of the case. However, knowing that the nation he once ruled for 20 years, has now significantly deteriorated politically, economically, socially, culturally and scientifically and technologically, the aging dead leader is sad, feeling sorry and mad for those leaders who came after him who plunged this country into its present state of stagnation and decay. May Marcos’ greatness as a leader and a Filipino stay in the heart and mind of every Filipino, be he or she in the past, present and future. Sources: Michael Punongbayan, Court junks P51-B suit vs Marcoses , AP/Yahoo news/Philstar, Sat, Jan 21, 2012
Posted on: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 05:02:28 +0000
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