The Sandiganbayan has begun forwarding the records in the graft case against Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos to the Supreme Court pending her appeal against her conviction on seven counts of graft.
The anti-graft court’s Fifth Division said the notice of appeal filed by the 89-year-old former first lady would be “given due course.”
The court said the original copies of the records would be the ones to be sent to the high court.
But it granted Marcos’ motion to exhaust all legal means to appeal her conviction at the anti-graft court or bring her case to the high court.
Late last month, the anti-graft court allowed Marcos to post bail of P300,000 pending the appeal of her case.
The anti-graft court earlier convicted her on seven counts of graft and sentenced her to a maximum 11 years in prison for each count.
Marcos’ lawyers had asked the anti-graft court to transfer her case records to the Supreme Court, where she planned to file an appeal, but the Sandiganbayan said she should first exhaust all remedies before doing so.
If her motion for reconsideration before the Sandiganbayan was denied, she could then appeal to the Supreme Court to question the legal basis of her conviction.
“The rules allow an accused to continue enjoying provisional liberty during the pendency of an appeal or a motion for reconsideration,” the court said after granting Mrs. Marcos’ motion to leave to avail herself of post-conviction remedies.
“[Mrs. Marcos] was also required to post a cash bond double the amount of her original bond,” the statement said.
Earlier, the anti-graft court permitted Mrs. Marcos to post a P150,000 bail bond pending a ruling on her post-conviction bond.