Imelda shoes away graft claim
Imelda Marcos news: The Philippine Supreme Court has acquitted its once longtime First Lady of seven counts of graft.
The country’s high court recently dismissed its remaining graft cases against her.
The story is old. The verdict new.
The court opinion stated that the government failed to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The ruling — finalized June 2026 — was made public last week by its Supreme Court on Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila.
The conviction was from November 2018. An anti-graft court found her guilty of moving public money into Swiss foundations.
She appealed and, due to age, remained in her home — free, on bail.
Prosecutors had accused Mrs. Marcos of illegally moving about $200 million US dollars into secret Swiss foundations during the 1970s while she served as governor of metro Manila.
At that time, Leona Helmsley told me: “Only $200 million? I’ve got more.”
In ’84, Imelda borrowed Malcolm Forbes’ boat for dinner at sea. In ’88, she stayed in Gen. MacArthur’s Waldorf apartment. 1986 Mexico offered her a haven — for a very large price. She was denied permission to come to the USA and ordered not to leave Manilauntil money’s returned.
Imelda and I met 1971. We were both invited guests of the Shah for the 2,500th birthday of the Persian Empire, in his country’s first city — Persepolis.
Next, in ’74 I provided VIP guests for the Miss Universe pageant which I brought to Manila. I was then assistant to its president. For it she had built specially a brand-new three-sided open theater.
In the ’90s came Imelda’s NYC trial. Manhattan Federal Court. She lived again in Gen. MacArthur’s widow’s five-room Waldorf suite and turned the living room into a church. In secret, Doris Duke — in from Hawaii, where they both had houses — was in town to post Imelda’s $5 million bail. The problem? Me.
Duke was on her way upstairs. Quiet. Hidden. Dark glasses. Hush hush. Nobody to know. Two lawyers with her. Supersecret — and there am I. Large as life. Doorbell rang and what to do with me. Imelda pushed me fast into the living room’s john. I couldn’t speak. I could only hear. It was my first and only toilet column.
NY courts accused her of stashing billions. Denying all, she called it Uncle Sam’s way to get her to intervene in situating five US bases in the Philippines. Her 4-star lawyer? Gerry Spence.
Once fed Middle Eastern food by my friend Samir of Michelle’s Kitchen that we said “had been a gift from the king of Jordan.” She collapsed from the strain because: “Medical intervention will allow no vindication of my trial.” She was rushed to emergency.
There were approximately 1,000 cases against her.
Have we spoken since? Yes. By phone. She is back in Manila.
In her hotshot days it was parties until 4 a.m. Shopping for caviar in Hong Kong. Always a piano player. Always singing — solo — her favorite “Yellow Rose From Texas.”
Besides the Waldorf she maintained a private house in the ’60s. The saying was forever that: “Justice in the Philippines is negotiable.”
In 1990s, she was accused of having stashed $5 BILLION.
And then — then — THEN — in 2022, it was her very own birth son who was elected president of the Philippines.
The post Former Philippines First Lady Imelda Marcos walks on graft charges again appeared first on New York Post.
