The Sandiganbayan has dismissed the remaining asset claims in the long-running forfeiture case against the Marcos family, ending more than 30 years of litigation for those specific properties.
The anti-graft court’s Special Division issued the resolution after the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG)—the state agency tasked with recovering the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family—formally declared that it would rest its case regarding the unresolved assets.
”Petitioner filed a Manifestation, stating that it would no longer present evidence with respect to the remaining listed properties not covered by the partial summary judgments,” read the resolution, promulgated on June 2.
The dismissal follows strict questioning from the court during earlier proceedings on May 7, where state lawyers were pressed over prolonged delays in presenting witnesses and evidence.
At the time, the PCGG defended the timeline by explaining that the majority of its original personnel had already retired, leaving current staff to meticulously sift through mountains of historical records.
However, Associate Justice Maryann Corpus-Mañalac rejected the explanation, emphasizing that the court would no longer tolerate unjustified postponements.
“You don’t just come to court to explain you need more time to conduct an in-depth investigation. This case is lagging behind,” Corpus-Mañalac said.
Associate Justice Juliet Manalo-San Gaspar further pointed out that the prosecution had been given clear directives as early as September 30, 2025, to finalize its evidence and line up its witnesses.
In response, the prosecution argued that the defense had contributed to the timeline by filing numerous motions and elevating several related matters to the Supreme Court. State lawyers also noted that the alleged ill-gotten wealth was heavily concealed through intricate networks of dummy corporations and complex financial schemes, making it difficult for the PCGG to establish definitive legal links.
The respondents in Civil Case No. 0141 include President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., former First Lady Imelda Marcos, Senator Imee Marcos, and Irene Marcos-Araneta.
While this specific resolution concludes the unresolved asset claims, previous litigation in the case has yielded significant legal milestones. In 2003, the Supreme Court declared $658 million in frozen Swiss bank deposits as ill-gotten, ordering the funds transferred to the National Treasury.
The high court also affirmed the government’s forfeiture of assets under Arelma S.A., a Panama-registered entity whose New York account grew from $2 million in 1972 to $40 million over the years.
Additionally, the Sandiganbayan has previously ordered the forfeiture of valuable art pieces owned by the family, which included masterpieces by Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt.
Meanwhile, a 1996 resolution by the court’s 1st Division noted that the Hawaii and Malacañang jewelry collections had been officially turned over to the government by Imelda Marcos in exchange for dropping specific legal charges against her.