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Republic vs. Sandiganbayan

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, PETITIONER, VS. HONORABLE SANDIGANBAYAN, 5TH DIVISION, DON FERRY, AND CESAR ZALAMEA, RESPONDENTS. [G.R. No. 198221] REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, PETITIONER, VS. SANDIGANBAYAN, 5TH DIVISION, LUCIO C. TAN, ESTATE OF FERDINAND E. MARCOS (REPRESENTED BY IMELDA R. MARCOS, IMEE M. MANOTOC, IRENE M. ARANETA, AND FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR.), IMELDA R. MARCOS, CARMEN KHAO TAN, FLORENCIO T. SANTOS, NATIVIDAD P. SANTOS, DOMINGO CHUA, TAN HUI NEE, MARIANO TAN ENG LIAN, ESTATE OF BENITO TAN KEE, HIONG (REPRESENTED BY TARCIANA C. TAN), FLORENCIO N. SANTOS, JR., HARRY C. TAN, TAN ENG CHAN, CHUNG POE KEE, MARIANO KHOO, MANUEL KHOO, MIGUEL KHOO, JAMIE KHOO, ELIZABETH KHOO, CELSO C. RANOLA, WILLIAM T. WONG, ERNESTO B. LIM, BENJAMIN T. ALBACITA, DON FERRY, WILLY CO, FEDERICO MORENO, PANFILO O. DOMINGO, HEIRS OF GREGORIO LICAROS, CESAR ZALAMEA, SHAREHOLDINGS, INC., ALLIED BANKING CORP., FOREMOST FARMS INC., FORTUNE TOBACCO CORP., MARANAW HOTELS AND RESORTS CORP., VIRGINIA TOBACCO REDRYING PLANT, NORTHERN TOBACCO REDRYING PLANT, ASIA BREWERY INC., SIPALAY TRADING CORP., HIMMEL INDUSTRIES, GRANDSPAN DEVELOPMENT CORP., BASIC HOLDINGS CORP., PROGRESSIVE FARMS, INC., MANUFACTURING SERVICES AND TRADE CORP., ALLIED LEASING & FINANCE CORP. JEWEL HOLDINGS INC., IRIS HOLDINGS AND DEVELOPMENT CORP., AND VIRGO HOLDINGS AND DEVELOPMENT CORP., RESPONDENTS. [G.R. No. 198974] REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, PETITIONER, VS. SANDIGANBAYAN 5TH DIVISION, LUCIO C. TAN, ESTATE OF FERDINAND E. MARCOS (REPRESENTED BY IMELDA R. MARCOS, IMEE M. MANOTOC, IRENE M. ARANETA, AND FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR.), IMELDA R. MARCOS, CARMEN KHAO TAN, FLORENCIO T. SANTOS, NATIVIDAD P. SANTOS, DOMINGO CHUA, TAN HUI NEE, MARIANO TAN ENG LIAN, ESTATE OF BENITO TAN KEE HIONG (REPRESENTED BY TARCIANA C. TAN), FLORENCIO N. SANTOS, JR., HARRY C. TAN, TAN ENG CHAN, CHUNG POE KEE, MARIANO KHOO, MANUEL KHOO, MIGUEL KHOO, JAMIE KHOO, ELIZABETH KHOO, CELSO C. RANOLA, WILLIAM T. WONG, ERNESTO B. LIM, BENJAMIN T. ALBACITA, DON FERRY, WILLY CO, FEDERICO MORENO, PANFILO O. DOMINGO, HEIRS OF GREGORIO LICAROS, CESAR ZALAMEA, SHAREHOLDINGS INC., ALLIED BANKING CORP., FOREMOST FARMS INC., FORTUNE TOBACCO CORP., MARANAW HOTELS AND RESORTS CORP., VIRGINIA TOBACCO REDRYING PLANT, NORTHERN TOBACCO REDRYING PLANT, ASIA BREWERY INC., SIPALAY TRADING CORP., HIMMEL INDUSTRIES, GRANDSPAN DEVELOPMENT CORP., BASIC HOLDINGS CORP., PROGRESSIVE FARMS, INC., MANUFACTURING SERVICES AND TRADE CORP., ALLIED LEASING & FINANCE CORP., JEWEL HOLDINGS INC., IRIS HOLDINGS AND DEVELOPMENT CORP., AND VIRGO HOLDINGS AND DEVELOPMENT CORP., RESPONDENTS. [G.R. No. 203592] REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, PETITIONER, VS. SANDIGANBAYAN 5TH DIVISION, LUCIO C. TAN, ESTATE OF FERDINAND E. MARCOS (REPRESENTED BY IMELDA R. MARCOS, IMEE M. MANOTOC, IRENE M. ARANETA, AND FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR.), IMELDA R. MARCOS, CARMEN KHAO TAN, FLORENCIO T. SANTOS, NATIVIDAD P. SANTOS, DOMINGO CHUA, TAN HUI NEE, MARIANO TAN ENG LIAN, ESTATE OF BENITO TAN KEE HIONG (REPRESENTED BY TARCIANA C. TAN), FLORENCIO N. SANTOS, JR., HARRY C. TAN, TAN ENG CHAN, CHUNG POE KEE, MARIANO KHOO, MANUEL KHOO, MIGUEL KHOO, JAMIE KHOO, ELIZABETH KHOO, CELSO C. RANOLA, WILLIAM T. WONG, ERNESTO B. LIM, BENJAMIN T. ALBACITA, DON FERRY, WILLY CO, FEDERICO MORENO, PANFILO O. DOMINGO, HEIRS OF GREGORIO LICAROS, CESAR ZALAMEA, SHAREHOLDINGS INC., ALLIED BANKING CORP., FOREMOST FARMS INC., FORTUNE TOBACCO CORP., MARANAW HOTELS AND RESORTS CORP., VIRGINIA TOBACCO REDRYING PLANT, NORTHERN TOBACCO REDRYING PLANT, ASIA BREWERY INC., SIPALAY TRADING CORP., HIMMEL INDUSTRIES, GRANDSPAN DEVELOPLVIENT CORP., BASIC HOLDINGS CORP., PROGRESSIVE FARMS, INC., MANUFACTURING SERVICES AND TRADE CORP., ALLIED LEASING & FINANCE CORP., JEWEL HOLDINGS INC., IRIS HOLDINGS AND DEVELOPMENT CORP., AND VIRGO HOLDINGS AND DEVELOPMENT CORP., RESPONDENTS.

G.R. No. 195837 | 2023-10-03

D E C I S I O N
 
ZALAMEDA, J.:
 
The recovery of ill-gotten wealth, with its laudable purpose initiated as it is "not only out of considerations of simple justice but also out of sheer necessity,"[1] places a heavy responsibility on the Republic and poses a demanding task for the Sandiganbayan and this Court. As the party seeking the recovery, the Republic has the burden of establishing its claim through admissible and relevant evidence. As vanguards of justice, the Sandiganbayan, and ultimately, this Court, have the obligation not only to meticulously analyze and weigh all the averments and pieces of evidence -...