Marcoses ordered to forfeit ill-gotten paintings, art worth millions of dollars
MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Special Division on Thursday declared that over 160 paintings and artworks owned by the Marcos family, valued at millions of dollars, were unlawfully acquired and should be surrendered to the Philippine government.
The artworks deemed ill-gotten by the Sandiganbayan include 156 included in the Philippine Commission on Good Government’s list of missing artworks and four Grandma Moses paintings.
Among those listed by PCGG are paintings by Matisse, Monet, Picasso, and Van Gogh.
The anti-graft court in a 42-page decision ordered the Marcoses, their relatives, or any representatives to “cease and desist from disposing, transferring and/or selling any of the above-mentioned paintings and artworks; render an accounting of the paintings and artworks that are still under their control and possession; render an accounting of paintings and artworks
already sold and surrender the proceeds thereof to petitioner Republic; and surrender the paintings and/or divulge their current location.”
Other artworks ruled unlawfully acquired are those listed in "A Report on the Metropolitan Museum of Manila's Art Collection" and additional valuable artworks that may be found under the control or possession of the Marcoses and their representatives.
“Petitioner (the government through the PCGG) contends that respondents former President Ferdinand E. Marcos and Imelda Marcos spent over US$24 Million dollars in paintings and various artworks. Petitioner seeks the forfeiture of these properties as their costs are grossly and astronomically disproportionate to respondent spouses' legitimate incomes,” read the partial summary judgment.
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