Sandigan freezes assets of ex-AFP comptroller, kin

QUEZON CITY -– The  Sandiganbayan has issued a “freeze” order on the properties and assets of former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) comptroller retired Lt. Gen. Jacinto C. Ligot and his relatives.

The Sandiganbayan issued a writ of attachment directing Sheriff Romulo Barrozo to attach  the Ligots’ real and personal properties.

In a seven-page resolution, penned by Associate Justice Jose R. Hernandez, Barrozo was also ordered to see to it that the assets would be sufficient to satisfy the “Republic’s demand” amounting to P135,280,822.11.

The order of the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division arose from the forfeiture case filed by the government in 2005.

Such amount, the Sandiganbayan said, is equivalent to the supposed unlawfully-acquired assets allegedly amassed by Ligot.

Ligot’s co-accused are his wife, Erlinda; children, Paulo, Riza and Miguel; brother-in-law, Edgardo Yambao; and sister, Dr. Miguela Ligot-Paragas.

They had opposed the attachment of their properties.

The respondents argued that there has been no finding by the court that the properties subject of the forfeiture case were in fact out of proportion of their lawful income or were fraudulently acquired.

But the anti-graft court ruled that the motion for the issuance of preliminary attachment or garnishment filed by the government is sufficient both in form and substance.

A list of Ligot’s assets ordered frozen are four vehicles, four condominium units, farmlands, buildings and residential lots, which was submitted by Deputy Special Prosecutors Robert Kallos and Cornelio Somido.

The condo units are one in Burgundy Plaza on Katipunan Rd., Quezon City in the name of Yambao; Essensa East Forbes Tower in Taguig City registered to Mrs. Ligot; one in Paseo Parkview Tower 2 owned by Paulo Ligot; and one in Building MC-14 at the Pamayanang Diego Silang by the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) in the name of the former AFP comptroller.

The government also wants to recover the proceeds of two properties in California, USA – one located in 1240 Cabernet Circle, Anaheim and another one in 7102 Stanton Avenue, Buena Park – reportedly already sold by Mrs. Ligot for P66 million.