MANILA, Philippines -- The Court of Appeals has extended for four months a freeze order on all assets of suspected terrorist Hilarion Santos, the alleged leader of Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM) who is on trial for rebellion and 21 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
The five-page resolution, penned by Associate Justice Teresita Dy-Liacco Flores, granting the request of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to extend the freeze order on the properties and accounts of Hilarion DeLos Santos Jr., Hilarion DelRosario Santos III and Ricardo Ayeras noted that the suspect failed to submit proof of innocence and that he is not involved in any unlawful activity.
The original freeze order on Santos’ assets expired September 29. The appeals court has extended the freeze until January 25 next year.
The RSM, which authorities describe as a spin-off of the militant Abu Sayyaf group, is primarily made up of Filipinos who converted to Islam and is blamed for the worst terrorist attack in the country, the firebombing of the Superferry 14 in Manila Bay in February 2004 that killed more than 100 people.
It is also accused of amassing hundreds of kilograms of explosives as part of a plot to bomb the US embassy in Manila, the 2005 Valentine’s Day bombing that killed eight persons and injured a hundred others, the kidnapping of 21 foreigners in Sipadan, Malaysia, and a foiled Lenten holiday bombing in Malate, Manila in 2006.
Among the assets of Santos ordered frozen are a residential building in Cubao, Quezon City, a 25-hectare property in Barangay (village) Mal-Ong in Anda town, Pangasinan, an account in the name of Ayeras at the BPI Family Savings Bank branch in Kalentong, Mandaluyong, and other related accounts.
The appellate court agreed with the OSG that the freeze order does not prevent Santos from using the properties or earning a living from them. The freeze order was granted to allow the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to gather evidence for a possible civil forfeiture case.
"What the freeze order seeks to prevent is only the disposal or alienation of said properties during the effectivity of the said order. The Court notes that aside from Santos' bare assertions that he is not engaged in any unlawful activity, he has not attached any proof of his innocence," the appeals court said.
On the other hand, it noted that the AMLC presented prima facie evidence of Santos’ alleged illegal activities, for which warrants of arrest were issued against him on charges for rebellion and 21 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom.
"Hence, there is still a need to determine whether respondent's frozen assets were used in said illegal activities," the appeals court said.
Santos converted to Islam while working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1991. It was also there where he allegedly he received bomb-making training.
He was arrested by the military in October 2005 with his wife Fatima and five other people while they were sleeping in an alleged hideout in Zamboanga City.
The Pangasinan property was also allegedly used as a terrorist training camp for a suicide cell that figured in the September 11 terror attacks on the United States. Because of this, the US government paid a P26-million reward to two informants whose tips led to Santos’ arrests.
