Military welcomes turnover of money from sale of Ligot house in US

MANILA, Philippines—The Armed Forces of the Philippines lauded the turnover of $132,000 from a forfeiture sale five years ago of a house in the United States owned by a former military comptroller, retired Lieutenant General Jacinto Ligot, who is accused of corruption during his term.

The US Embassy on Thursday turned over to the Department of Justice a check for $132,000 (equivalent to P5.7 million) from a forfeiture sale of the Ligots’ property at 7102 Stanton Avenue in Buena Park, California.

“This is a significant development as far as the case against the Ligots is concerned,” AFP spokesman Brigadier General Jose Mabanta Jr. said in a statement on Friday.

“It clearly manifests the cooperation and concern of institutions in fighting corruption. The AFP supports and is solidly behind every endeavor as it continues to implement reforms within the military establishment particularly in resource and financial management,” he continued.

The return of the proceeds from the forfeiture sale stemmed from a 2009 request by then Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo for the Buena Park property which was titled in the name of Ligot’s wife, Erlinda.

The house was purchased by Ligot’s wife on June 8, 2004 for $599,500 but was not declared in Ligot’s statements of assets liabilities and net worth (SALN).

The property was subjected to administrative proceedings in the US, ordered forfeited and sold for the much lower value of $132,000 in December 2005.

The Buena Park house was among several properties that senators had asked the Ligot couple to explain during recent hearings on alleged corruption in the AFP when Ligot controlled the military’s finances from 1999 to 2001 and when dismissed Major General Carlos Garcia succeeded him from 2001 to 2005, when his family’s extravagant lifestyle was discovered.

The AFP has joined the Office of the Solicitor General’s petition to the Sandiganbayan asking it to nullify a plea bargain deal in which Garcia, charged with the capital offense plunder, pleaded guilty to the lesser offenses of bribery and facilitating money laundering.