MANILA, Philippines—The brother-in-law of former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot showed up at the Senate Monday to deny he had gone into hiding.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada Wednesday said Edgardo Yambao presented himself to the blue ribbon committee last Monday and is expected to appear at Thursday’s hearing at the Senate inquiry into the questionable plea bargain entered into by state prosecutors with plunder suspect ex-military comptroller Carlos Garcia.
“He claimed that his business [has been] affected. He said he has a business, and that he has hired bodyguards,” said Estrada, who had presented whistle-blower former budget officer George Rabusa as a surprise witness at the inquiry.
Yambao allegedly accumulated P300 million between 1999 and 2004, and managed to purchase units in swanky condominiums and two cars even though he declared no income for those years, according to documents obtained by Sen. Franklin Drilon.
‘Dummies’
Yambao and Ligot’s wife Erlinda, who were portrayed in previous hearings as Ligot’s dummies in the latter’s alleged accumulation of ill-gotten wealth, did not show up at last week’s hearings for different reasons.
Erlinda, the alleged owner of several houses in the United States, was confined in a hospital for various ailments, while Yambao could not be located last week.
Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, chair of the blue ribbon committee, said Erlinda and Yambao had sent word that they would attend Thursday’s hearing as resource persons.
“It’s going to be a Ligot show,” he said.
The inquiry would not be complete until Erlinda and Yambao testify, Estrada said.
Last hearing
“That should be the last hearing if Mrs. Ligot and Mr. Yambao show up. We will wrap it up,” he said.
Other invited resource persons include former Solicitor General Frank Chavez, former military finance operations officer Col. Felipe Vicencio, former military chief accountant Generoso del Castillo Jr. and Garcia, among others.
Meanwhile, a defense department special panel looking into the alleged diversion of military funds into the personal slush fund of top generals failed to meet the 30-day deadline imposed by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin to turn in its findings by the end of February.
15-day extension
The three-person investigating committee asked for a 15-day extension citing the unavailability of the whistle-blowers, Rabusa and former state auditor Heidi Mendoza.
Department of National Defense spokesperson Eduardo Batac said the committee was informed by Congress “that these resource persons may not be available until after they have concluded the hearings.”
He said the panel wanted a first-hand discussion with Rabusa and Mendoza.
Gazmin formed the panel last Jan. 28 to investigate the allegations Rabusa made before the Senate on the alleged multi-million peso “pabaon” and “pasalubong” (cash gifts) for former military chiefs Angelo Reyes, Diomedio Villanueva and Roy Cimatu.
Rabusa implicated Ligot and Garcia in the alleged financial irregularities.
Reyes killed himself a few days after Rabusa made his testimony. Villanueva and Cimatu have denied having received military funds for their personal use.
No assurance
Batac admitted there is no assurance that Rabusa, Mendoza or other key resource persons who appeared in the congressional hearings would show up at the DND investigation.
“There is no way that we can force them to attend. What we can do is to access the records of the hearings and we can review all these statements and pick out whatever lessons or leads that can be used for the purposes of the investigating committee,” he said.
In any case, Batac said the committee is focused on what further reforms the military can undertake since it will be Congress that will recommend the prosecution of whoever is liable and the Department of Justice would be conducting its own investigation.
“Anyway, the department and the AFP are not really the government agency that will pursue judicial action … The only thing that the department and the AFP can commit is full cooperation and full support to all these efforts,” he said.