The Sandiganbayan has ordered the government’s forfeiture of the more than P120 million worth of property of former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Comptroller Lt. General Jacinto C. Ligot and members of his family after it declared that the money used to purchase them was unlawfully acquired.
The 70-page decision written by Associate Justice Bayani H. Jacinto and concurred in Associate Justices Alex L. Quiroz and Lorifel L. Pahimna stated:
"Wherefore, in view of the foregoing, judgment is rendered granting in part the petition filed by the Republic of the Philippines against the respondents Lt. Gen. Jacinto Castillo Ligot, Erlinda Yambao Ligot, Paulo Yambao Ligot, Riza Yambao Ligot, and Miguela Ligot-Paragas.
“Accordingly, the following properties, amounting to P102,126,353.46, are hereby declared to have been unlawfully acquired and hence forfeited in favor of the state," the dispositive portion of the ruling read.
Listed in the decision are the following forfeited property: Cornland located at Manolo Fortrich, Bukidnon, Patpat, Malaybay, and Kalasungay, Malaybay worth P180,000, P58,320, and P84,035.60, respectively; land in Tanay, Rizal worth P2 million; Essensa Condominium in Taguig City worth P22,954,545.45; Parkview Condominium in Bel-Air Makati worth P2,280,955.14; two houses in the United States worth P17,899,377.60 and P33,680,510; Armed Forces and Police Savings and Loan Association Inc. deposits and investments worth P3,800,509.41 and 5,415,021.24; paid-up shares in Parmil Farms Inc. amounting to P250,000 each for Jacinto and Erlinda and P37,500 each for Paulo and Riza.
Also ordered forfeited were a guardhouse, quarantine house, and bodega in Imbayao, Malaybalay worth P568,350; shower building and water tank in Malaybalay worth P19,368; poultry building, rest house, and covered terrace worth P4,531,578; Lot Nos. 2651, 2652, 2653 and 2654 at Imbayao worth P195,000; Toyota Hilux 2001 worth P1,078,000; building at Malaybalay worth P6,715,783.02; and machineries in Malaybalay worth P80,000.
The anti-graft court said "the petition as against respondent Edgardo Tecson Yambao is hereby dismissed,"
The Ombudsman initially sought to forfeit P135,280,822.11 from Ligot, his wife Erlinda, his children Paulo and Riza, and his sister Miguela after examining Ligot's sources of income and comparing them with his statements of assets liabilities and net worth (SALNs) from 1982 to 2003.
The properties ordered forfeited were not listed in his SALNs.
Records of the case showed that Ligot and his wife purchased Anaheim and Buena Park properties in the United States for $22,181 and $599,500, respectively, and this was confirmed by U.S. authorities.
They denied ownership of both properties, explaining that the Buena Park property was actually purchased by Juanito and Elenita Destura sometime in 2004.
They said the Anaheim property was bought by a partnership composed of Erlinda, Eusebio Agonias, Roy Tandoc, Ressie Ducut, and Carmen Catugda. Erlinda said her total earnings from the property only amounted to $1,999.51.
However, the anti-graft court said Ligot and his wife did not present any evidence to support their claim.
Ligot also denied purchasing the Essensa Condominium for P22,954,545.45 from Meridien Development Group Inc. on Feb. 6, 2003 before purportedly selling this to Yambao on Aug. 18, 2003. However, there was again no evidence to support the claims, the court said.
It said that Ligot and his family also failed to properly explain how they were able to acquire the other pieces of property based on the former AFP Comptroller's disposable income.
"Considering respondent Gen. Ligot et al.'s failure to justify how they were able to acquire said properties out of their lawful income, the same are therefore considered to have been unlawfully acquired and should be forfeited in favor of the State," it ruled.