Former Philippine First Lady Acquitted of Cash Smuggling

The former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos was acquitted on Monday of 32 counts of bulk cash smuggling as a Manila court settled the 17-year-old case against the corruption-dogged former first family that fell out of grace in 1986.

Judge Silvino Pampilo of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26 said despite existence of dollar counts linked to Marcos foundations in Switzerland the Marcos "dollar salting" case was not proven "beyond rescannable doubts."

The prosecution also failed to prove Imelda Marcos' conspiracy in bulk cash smuggling, Pampilo said.

"I am so happy and I thank the Lord that the 32 cases have been dismissed by the regional court here in Manila. This will subtract from the 901 cases that were filed against the Marcoses," Imelda told local television network ABS-CBN News.

Marcos said she hoped the rest of the cases would be finished sooner so that the former first couple could have their names cleared while she was alive.

According to Marcos' lawyer, the former first lady, whose extravagant lifestyle is no secret to the world, still faces at least 10 pending criminal charges before the Philippine anti-graft court.

Imelda's husband, late strongman president Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted in a 1986 popular revolt when millions of Filipinos marched on streets to demand his step-down after 27 years totalitarian rule. Since his downfall, authorities in Switzerland had frozen 365 million dollars in Swiss banks that were linked to Marcos foundations.

2008-03-17

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