Sandiganbayan freezes properties of Ligot family

In pursuit of a civil case filed in 2005, the Sandiganbayan's Fourth Division on Thursday froze some P135 million worth of selected properties of former Armed Forces comptroller retired Lt. Gen. Jacinto C. Ligot and six other co-respondents. In Civil Case No. 0197, the anti-graft court is petitioning for forfeiture of ill-gotten wealth, allegedly accumulated by Ligot and his relatives, including, wife, Erlinda, children Paulo, Riza and Miguel, brother-in-law Edgardo Yambao, and sister Miguela Ligot-Paragas. Penned by Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Jose R. Hernandez, the resolution ordered Sheriff Romulo Barrozo to attach a defined list of "the real and personal properties of the respondents located in the Philippines." The list, submitted by Deputy Special Prosecutors Robert E. Kallos and Cornelio Somido, included buildings, condominium units, farmlands, residential lots, and vehicles. The anti-graft court explained that the Ligot's frozen assets would be enough to cover the government’s efforts to get back P135,280,822.11, the estimated value of properties allegedly amassed by the former military comptroller as spelled out in the 2005 complaint. The freeze order covered the following condominium units:

• one in Burgundy Plaza on Katipunan Road, Quezon City, in the name of Yambao;
• another in Essensa East Forbes Tower in Taguig City, registered to Erlinda Ligot;
• a third unit in Paseo Parkview Tower 2, owned by Paulo Ligot; and
• a fourth one in Building MC-14 at the Pamayanang Diego Silang of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), in the name of Ligot himself.

Government lawyers also intend to recover the proceeds from two properties in the United States: one in 1240 Cabernet Circle, Anaheim, California and another in 7102 Stanton Avenue, Buena Park, also in California. Also subject to forfeiture proceedings are two accounts with the Armed Forces and Police Savings and Loans Association Inc. (AFPSLAI) — one in the name of Ligot that previously held P8 million, and another in his wife’s name that had held P5 million — which were later withdrawn, leaving greatly reduced balances of some P169,000 and P55,000 respectively. According to the decision, "the evidence thus far presented… established a prima facie case" that Ligot and his co-respondents "have unjustly or fraudulently taken, detained or converted assets, funds or properties which may be the proper subject of a civil action for forfeiture." The Sandiganbayan also noted that Ligot himself admitted in his statements of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN) from 1982 to 2003 that the value of his assets only totaled P3.25 million, with disposable funds of only P268,740.59. Ligot and his co-respondents opposed the order on their properties, insisting that the court has not presented any finding that the said assets in the forfeiture case were disproportionate to their lawful income or were fraudulently acquired. They also argued that a freeze order amounted to a prejudgment of their 2005 forfeiture case.—JV/VS, GMA News