Malacañang has rejected claims that the Supreme Court’s decision to acquit former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos in seven graft cases could influence President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s choice of the country’s next chief justice.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said there was no factual basis for connecting the acquittal to the President’s upcoming appointment, calling such assertions mere speculation.
“Normal sa mga kritiko ang mag-isip ng puwede nilang i-issue. Karamihan naman dito ay walang mga basehan,” Castro told reporters in India on Friday, September 11.
The three Supreme Court associate justices being considered as possible successors to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo are Ramon Paul Hernando, Henri Jean Paul Inting, and Rodil Zalameda, who penned the ruling clearing Imelda Marcos.
Castro said attempts to link the ruling to the selection of the next chief justice could undermine the independence of the Supreme Court and its members.
“Minsan magsasalita sila na maaaring ganito, maaaring ganyan, pero walang pinanghuhugutang anumang facts or data,” she said.
The Palace official also defended the qualifications of the magistrates who handled the case, saying they were appointed because of their legal expertise and ability to properly evaluate evidence.
Castro stressed that the administration respects the Supreme Court’s constitutional role as the final authority in resolving legal disputes, in keeping with the principle of separation of powers.
In its June 10 ruling, the Supreme Court’s First Division overturned the Sandiganbayan’s 2018 conviction of Imelda Marcos on seven counts of graft involving her alleged financial interests in private foundations in Switzerland.
The Court ruled that prosecutors failed to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt, citing their failure to establish that the Swiss foundations were businesses covered by the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. It also found that key documentary evidence had not been properly authenticated.
The Sandiganbayan had previously sentenced Marcos to six to 11 years in prison for each graft count after finding that she maintained prohibited financial interests in the foundations while holding government positions during the administration of her late husband, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.