SC reverses graft conviction of former First Lady Imelda Marcos over Swiss foundations

The Supreme Court has acquitted former First Lady Imelda Marcos of seven counts of graft involving her alleged financial interests in Swiss foundations, overturning a landmark 2018 conviction by the Sandiganbayan.

In a ruling dated June 10, 2026, and released publicly on Wednesday, September 9, the SC First Division held that the prosecution failed to establish Marcos’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The high court’s decision clears the matriarch of a decades-long legal battle. The Sandiganbayan had previously found her guilty on seven counts, imposing prison terms ranging from six to 11 years per count—a cumulative maximum sentence of up to 77 years. Marcos had remained free after being granted bail while appealing the decision.

The charges stemmed from allegations that Marcos maintained pecuniary interests in and managed seven non-governmental organizations in Switzerland between 1978 and 1984. During that period, she simultaneously served as Minister of Human Settlements, Governor of Metro Manila, and a member of the interim Batasang Pambansa.

However, the Supreme Court ruled that the prosecution's evidence—both testimonial and documentary—was either inadmissible or lacked sufficient probative weight.

"In sum, the relevant Swiss documents were not properly authenticated. The prosecution was not able to present any credible witness who could have attested to the genuineness and due execution of the documents," read the decision penned by Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda.

The court also rejected the prosecution's argument that the Swiss entities constituted commercial enterprises based on their financial activities.

The tribunal clarified that routine financial actions—such as opening bank accounts, transferring funds, and earning interest or investment returns—do not automatically turn an organization into a commercial enterprise. The SC likened these activities to maintaining standard bank deposits or managing an investment portfolio.

Marcos was originally charged with graft in December 1991, surrendering days later before posting bail. The proceedings dragged on for nearly three decades before the Sandiganbayan handed down its guilty verdict in November 2018.

In reversing the anti-graft court's ruling, Justice Zalameda emphasized that the prosecution must strictly meet evidentiary standards regardless of the high-profile nature of the case.

The justice stressed that the sufficiency of allegations and the admissibility of evidence cannot be bypassed or compromised simply by invoking public interest and general notions of justice.

-Paraluman News