How the gov’t misplaced its bid to forfeit $5.19M Romualdez household funds

The funds have remained untouched on the Philippine Nationwide Financial institution for 16 years

MANILA, Philippines – The federal government didn’t safe a judicial lien on $5.19 million in escrowed funds on the Philippine Nationwide Financial institution (PNB) linked to the household of the late ambassador Benjamin “Kokoy” Romualdez.

The forfeiture case, filed on the anti-graft courtroom on November 21, 2025, aimed to recuperate cash beforehand held on the Union Financial institution of Switzerland in Geneva.

Romualdez, who died in 2012, was the youngest brother of former first girl Imelda Marcos and father of former Home speaker Martin Romualdez. He was thought of one of many Marcos cronies, and he held key positions in authorities throughout the Marcos dictatorship.

The sixth Division of the Sandiganbayan granted the movement by the Romualdez household, dismissing the federal government’s petition to forfeit the funds, case SB-25-CVL-0001.

The cash was transferred from Swiss accounts to the Philippine authorities on December 29, 1998, beneath an order from a district legal professional of the Canton of Zurich. Swiss authorities allowed the switch on the situation that it stay in escrow and will solely be launched if a Philippine courtroom declared the funds ill-gotten.

For the reason that escrow account was arrange in 1999, the funds have remained untouched at PNB for 16 years.

The federal government filed on August 17, 2011 a petition with a verified pressing ex parte software in search of a writ of preliminary attachment. However the 4th division of the anti-graft courtroom dismissed the case on June 18, 2018, noting that it had been filed by the Workplace of the Ombudsman, and allowed the Workplace of the Solicitor Normal to refile it. A subsequent movement for reconsideration by the federal government was additionally denied.

The Romualdezes subsequently filed on June 10, 2025, a movement to launch escrowed funds, which the identical Sandiganbayan division authorized, masking the complete $5.194 million plus any curiosity accrued. It acknowledged that the federal government’s extended inaction was seen as a waiver of its proper to pursue the forfeiture.

Reasonably than contesting the choice, the OSG filed a brand new forfeiture petition, which was assigned to the Sandiganbayan’s sixth Division. It will definitely dominated that the petition was improper because it successfully sought to have one division override the choice of a co-equal division, including that it can’t try this beneath the doctrine of non-interference.

The anti-graft courtroom additionally identified that the federal government had already filed a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court docket, in search of to overturn the Sandiganbayan 4th Division’s ruling, and sought an order to forestall the discharge of the escrowed funds. – Rappler.com