MANILA: A Philippine court said Monday it had ordered Imelda Marcos to return by next month nearly $280,000 in state funds stolen by her then-dictator husband nearly three decades ago. The anti-graft Sandiganbayan court said Marcos had 30 days from April 5 to return the money, and if she failed to do so, authorities would be forced to seize property to cover for the amount. “The court issued the writ of execution and the count will begin from Friday last week, the date when the court sheriff received the order,” said a spokeswoman for the court, who did not want to be named. Imelda's husband, Ferdinand Marcos, ruled the Philippines for 20 years, much of it under a brutal dictatorship that left thousands of activists dead or missing. He and his family were also accused of stealing vast amounts of wealth from state coffers, with the government estimating up to $10 billion was looted. – Agence France
