(1930-) Filipino politician and socialite, wife of Ferdinand Marcos, in exile 1986–91. She was acquitted 1990 of defrauding US banks. Under indictment for misuse of Philippine state funds, she returned to Manila in Nov 1991 and was an unsuccessful candidate in the 1992 presidential elections. She was convicted of corruption and sentenced to 18–24 years imprisonment 1993, but remained free on bail.
After her husband's death 1989, Imelda Marcos stood trial in New York City in answer to charges of concealing ownership of US property and other goods, purchased with stolen Philippine-government funds. She was acquitted, her lawyer claiming the responsibility had lain solely with her husband. In 1991, the government of the Philippines lifted its ban on Imelda Marcos returning to her homeland in the hope of recouping an estimated $350 million from frozen Marcos accounts in Swiss banks. Simultaneously, they filed 11 charges of tax evasion against her and 18 against her children.
(1917-1989) Filipino right-wing politician, president from 1965 to 1986, when he was forced into exile in Hawaii by a popular front led by Corazon Aquino. He was backed by the US when in power, but in 1988 US authorities indicted him and his wife Imelda Marcos for racketeering and embezzlement.
Marcos was convicted while a law student 1939 of murdering a political opponent of his father, but eventually secured his own acquittal. In World War II he was a guerrilla fighter, survived the Japanese prison camps, and became president 1965.
His regime became increasingly repressive, with secret pro-Marcos groups terrorizing and executing his opponents. He was overthrown and exiled 1986 by a nonviolent “people’s power” movement, led by Corazon Aquino, widow of a murdered opposition leader, which obtained international and army support. A US grand jury investigating Marcos and his wife alleged that they had embezzled over $100 million from the government of the Philippines, received bribes, and defrauded US banks. Marcos was too ill to stand trial.