Supreme Court Acquits Imelda Marcos, Citing Lack of Evidence in Graft Case
IMELDA MARCOS – The former First Lady has been acquitted by the Supreme Court in a graft case involving her alleged financial interests in seven Swiss foundations. The Supreme Court First Division overturned the Sandiganbayan’s 2018 ruling, which found her guilty of seven counts of graft and sentenced her to six to 11 years in prison for each count.
The Supreme Court decision was dated June 10, 2026, and was made public on September 9. The case involved allegations that Marcos had financial interests in and helped manage several foundations in Switzerland from 1978 to 1984 while serving in different government positions.
The Sandiganbayan previously ruled that the seven foundations were mainly used to open bank accounts, transfer funds, earn interest, and make investments for the benefit of the Marcos family.
However, the Supreme Court said prosecutors failed to prove Marcos’ guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The Court also found that important Swiss documents presented as evidence were not properly authenticated. Prosecutors were unable to present a credible witness who could confirm that the documents were genuine and properly prepared.
The Court also clarified that opening bank accounts, transferring money, earning interest, or making investments does not automatically mean that an organization is operating a business. These activities can simply be part of managing money or investments.
Under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, public officials are prohibited from having direct or indirect financial interests in businesses or transactions connected to their official duties. However, the Supreme Court found that prosecutors failed to prove that the seven Swiss foundations were businesses covered by the law.
The Court noted that there was no sufficient evidence showing that the foundations regularly offered goods or services mainly to earn profits. Because of this, Marcos’ alleged financial interests in the foundations did not fall under the specific graft provision used against her.
