Ligots’ counsel wants one-month suspension of hearings

A new defense counsel in the forfeiture case against former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot and his family has asked the anti-graft court to cancel all scheduled hearings for at least a month in order for him to study all the trial records. Lawyer Benjamin Santos, who is also defending the Ligots in their plunder case filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ), submitted his entry of appearance to the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division on Monday. Santos replaced lawyer Rafael Zialcita, who withdrew from the case last month. He said the Ligot family had asked him to handle the forfeiture case. “Undersigned succumbed to the respondents’ plea without realizing at first that the records of the instant case had piled up to several volumes, and that in fact, it is the respondents who are the ones already presenting their evidence. Undersigned counsel is constrained to respectfully more for the cancellation of the said hearings," Santos said. The government is seeking to recover P135,280,822.11 in alleged ill-gotten wealth amassed by Ligot while he was in active military service. ] Also named respondents in the complaint were Ligot’s wife Erlinda; their children Paulo, Riza and Miguel; Ligot’s sister Dr. Miguela Ligot-Paragas; and his brother-in-law Edgardo Yambao. Santos entered his appearance for all the defendants except, Yambao who has engaged the services of another counsel. In a report submitted to the Sandiganbayan last June 7, sheriff Romulo C. Barrozo said some P50 million of the family’s assets have been effectively frozen based on notices of attachment issued by the Sandiganbayan on April 7, 2011. These include condominium units in Burgundy Plaza on Katipunan Road, Quezon City in the name of Yambao; one at Essensa East Forbes Tower in Taguig City reportedly in the name of Mrs. Ligot; and another in Building MC-14 at the Pamayanang Diego Silang also in Taguig registered in the name of Ligot himself. Likewise attached were real estate properties in Tanay in Rizal province, and in Muntinlupa City including farmlands and a house being occupied by the Ligot family. Freeze orders have also been served on various accounts in the names of Ligot and his wife and children containing the total amount of P2,910,335.95 with the Armed Forces and Police Savings and Loan Association Inc. — KBK, GMA News