THE Sandiganbayan has ordered the lifting of garnishment and attachment orders on real estate properties and investments of Edgardo Yambao, the brother-in-law of former Armed Forces comptroller Jacinto Ligot.
In a resolution issued last April 5, the anti-graft court’s Fourth Division granted Yambao’s motion seeking restoration of his ownership rights over a condominium unit in Burgundy Plaza in Quezon City, a property in Susana Heights, and P200,513.52 contribution to the Air Materiel Wing Savings and Loan Association Inc. (AMWSLAI).
These assets were excluded in the list of properties worth P102.13 million that were declared “unlawfully acquired” by Ligot and ordered forfeited by the court in favor of the Philippine government in its decision promulgated on February 3, 2021.
“In our 03 February 2021 Decision, we ordered that the writ of the attachment against respondent Yambao’s properties be lifted upon arriving at a factual determination that he acquired the properties… independently of the respondents Ligot,” the Sandiganbayan declared.
However, the court maintained the forfeiture order against a condominium unit in Essensa East Forbes Condominium Tower in Taguig City listed at P22.954 million even if it was under the name of Yambao.
Named co-defendants in the lawsuit docketed as Civil Case No. 0197 are Yambao, Lt. Gen. (retired) Jacinto Ligot; his wife Erlinda Yambao-Ligot; their children Paulo and Riza, and Ligot’s sister Miguela Ligot-Paragas.
In ordering the forfeiture, the court gave weight to the prosecution’s evidence showing Ligot retired from active military service in 2004 with a declared net worth of only P3,248,003 which meant that the discovered assets in his and his relatives’ names were “manifestly disproportionate to his lawful income.”
As far as Yambao is concerned, however, the court said the dismissal of the case against him and the order lifting the writ of attachment on his legitimate assets have already become final since the government did not move for a reconsideration.
The resolution was penned by Associate Justice Bayani H. Jacinto, with Associate Justices Alex L. Quiroz and Lorifel Lacap Pahimna concurring.
