MANILA, Philippines?Lt. Col. George Rabusa and Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot, both linked to then military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, were investigated for unexplained wealth while serving in the military.

Rabusa served as budget chief of the Office of the Armed Forces? Deputy Chief of Staff for Comptrollership?or J6?from November 1999 until 2002, under Garcia.

In 2002, a graft complaint was filed against Rabusa in the AFP Ombudsman in connection with his unexplained wealth amounting to P62 million. His gross monthly income then was only P26,639.88.

Rabusa tried to explain the dramatic increase in his net worth by saying that he had received a P4.1-million inheritance and ?financial aid? from his parents-in-law.

In October 2004, Rabusa was removed from his post as operations officer of the AFP Central Command in Cebu City.

In December of the year, the Ombudsman filed a petition for forfeiture against him; in February 2005, the Sandiganbayan issued a freeze order on his assets.

Ligot, on the other hand, served as comptroller under then AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Angelo Reyes from 1999 to 2001, preceding Garcia.

Ligot retired in 2004 with a monthly salary of at least P35,000, but reports of his unexplained assets reaching at least P60 million brought him before the House committee on national defense in 2005.

But he invoked his right against self-incrimination throughout the inquiry.

In 2005, Ligot was charged with corruption in the Sandiganbayan for allegedly amassing P135.28 million in ill-gotten wealth. These assets allegedly included two houses in California in the United States, and high-priced condominium units, among others.

In 2007, Ligot, through his lawyers, offered the government more than P20 million of his assets in exchange for the withdrawal of cases filed against him and his family.

Malacañang rejected the offer. Lawrence de Guzman, Inquirer Research

Sources: Inquirer Archives