MANILA - The head of the body which granted graft convict Imelda Marcos bail on Wednesday denied the Sandiganbayan gave the former first lady preferential treatment.

Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang told the Judicial and Bar Council that she believes the members of her court’s Fifth Division acted within the bounds of their jurisdiction when they allowed Marcos to post P300,000 bail and appeal her conviction despite her absence during the promulgation of judgment.

Imelda posted bail on Wednesday.

“I believe the members of the Fifth Division merely exercised what is proper under the circumstances matter that are addressed to their discretion. I don’t believe that they have abused or much less gravely abused the discretion granted them under the circumstances,” she said.

Cabotaje-Tang is applying to be the next associate justice to take the place of Associate Justice Noel Tijam who will retire in January 2019.

She explained that under the rules, an accused who is convicted of a bailable offense is allowed to post bail for provisional liberty pending appeal.

“The only requirement of the court is that the initial amount of bail should be doubled,” she said.

“Of course bail after conviction may be denied by a court or by the court depending on the attending circumstance. Personally, I don’t believe that there has been preferential treatment was accorded Mrs. Marcos,” she added.

Cabotaje-Tang’s colleague at the Sandiganbayan and fellow-applicant for the SC associate justice post echoed her view.

Justice Efren de la Cruz told the JBC that whenever an accused is convicted on a bailable offense, the Sandiganbayan’s policy requires the accused to post bail double the amount to enjoy provisional liberty.

Apart from Cabotaje-Tang and de la Cruz, 4 other SC associate justice aspirants were interviewed on Wednesday.

A total of 19 applicants are in the running to replace Tijam.