ILOCOS Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos was absent on Monday, November 12, the first session day of the House of Representatives after its Halloween break.
According to one of the staff members of Marcos, who refused to be identified, the former first lady is preparing her motion for reconsideration to the Sandiganbayan’s decision to convict her of seven counts of graft.
The Sandiganbayan has yet to release a warrant of arrest against Marcos, widow of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and mother of Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos and former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
On Friday, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division verbally ordered the arrest of Marcos. No arrest warrant, however, has been issued since.
The House leadership has vowed to enforce the Sandiganbayan’s arrest order against the 89-year-old lawmaker.
"While there are remedies available to all persons under our criminal justice system including but not limited to provisional remedies and appeal, the House will respect and abide by the decision of the Sandiganbayan,” said House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr.
The Sandiganbayan sentenced Marcos to an imprisonment of six years and one month to 11 years for each count of graft and barred her from holding public office.
She was found guilty of participation in the establishment of non-governmental organizations in Switzerland, which the court said benefitted the Marcos family.
House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, in a chance interview on Monday, said there are other important issues the government should focus on aside the arrest of Marcos.
He urged the Filipino people to move on.
“Palagay ko kung uungkatin pa natin, we are not going to move on e,” he said.
“Plus the fact that some of these critics, wala nang ginawa kundi hanapin yung issue against the late President. How about the good things that they have done? Wala man lang nagbibigay ng credit,” Suarez added.
(I think we are not going to move on if we dig up the issues against the Marcoses. Their critics have not done anything except find fault against the late President. How about the good things that they have done? Nobody is giving them credit.)
“Ba't galit ng galit yung mga critics kay Marcos? (Why are the critics angry at Marcos? Because they were communists in the first place and they were the enemies of the state," he further said. (SunStar Philippines)