SC orders seizure of Abadia ‘unexplained wealth’

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court affirmed the Sandiganbayan decision ordering the forfeiture of assets of former Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Lisandro Abadia and his wife, Violeta, worth P11.2 million.

In a two-page resolution released Wednesday, the high court’s third division said it could not find any reversible error committed by the anti-graft court.

“After a review of the records and finding no reversible error, the court resolves to deny the petition and affirm the Sandiganbayan decision…which stated that petitioners were guilty of having unexplained wealth amounting to P11,262,876.01 which should be forfeited in favor of the state,” the high court said.

The forfeiture case against Abadia and his wife was filed on July 4, 2005.

The accumulated unexplained wealth covered several years when Abadia was head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Abadia had argued that his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) for 1993 presented by the government was a fake.

The court said, however, that it was a certified true copy compared to what the former official presented, which were mere reproductions.

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Retired general ordered to pay gov’t P11.2M