For “lack of merit,” the Sandiganbayan has denied the motion filed by retired Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Comptroller Lt. Gen. Jacinto C. Ligot and members of his family to reconsider the court’s order on the forfeiture of over P102 million worth of property which were “unlawfully acquired.”
In its resolution issued last Nov. 15, the anti-graft court said that the contents of the motion for reconsideration filed by the Ligots are nothing but “mere rehash of arguments raised in previous submissions.”
The court noted that the arguments in the motion were the same as those in the Ligots’ joint demurrer to evidence and memorandum which “have been exhaustively passed upon, duly considered, and repeatedly resolved by the Court in its Decision and previous resolutions.”
The denied motion for reconsideration was filed by Ligot, his wife Erlinda and children Paolo, Riza, and Miguel.
Early this year, the Sandiganbayan ordered the forfeiture of the Ligot family’s P102 million worth of property with a ruling that the money used to purchase them were unlawfully acquitted.
“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.
In denying Ligots’ motion, the anti-graft court cited a Supreme Court ruing which states that “a Motion for Reconsideration should be denied when the same only rehashes issues put forward.”
Since no new matters were raised in the motion, it must be denied. The resolution was written by Associate Justice Michael Frederick L. Musngi, and was concurred in by Associate Justices Oscar C. Herrera Jr. and Bayani H. Jacinto.
Set for forfeiture are the 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 pieces of property ordered forfeited in favor of the government were not listed in Ligot’s statements of assets, liabilities and networth (SALNs) from 1982 to 2003.
The Sandiganbayan had ruled that Ligot and members of his family failed to properly explain how they were able to acquire the pieces of property based on the former AFP Comptroller's disposable income.