Court of Appeals freezes bank accounts of 'Alabang Boys' prosecutor

MANILA, Philippines -  The Court of Appeals (CA) has ordered a 20-day freeze on the bank accounts of state prosecutor John Resado, who is suspected of taking bribes from the families of drug suspects also known as the “Alabang Boys.”

The appellate court’s freeze order also covered the bank accounts of Resado’s wife, Rowena, who is also facing charges for graft and corruption as well as operating illegal lending activities.

The CA order, penned by Associate Justice Myrna Dimaranan Vidal, froze Resado’s bank accounts as well as “all related web of accounts wherever they may be.” Associate Justices Martin Villarama Jr. and Rosalinda Asuncion-Vicente also signed the freeze order.

Resado signed the Joint Inquest Resolution dismissing the drug trafficking case against Richard Santos Brodett, Jorge Jordana Joseph and Joseph Tecson. In the ruling, money reportedly changed hands.

It was later found out in a House committee hearing that a day after Resado signed the resolution, P800,000 was deposited in his Banco de Oro account.

The other signatories to the resolution were Senior State Prosecutor Phillip I. Kimpo and Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito R. Zuño. 

Resado later testified before Congress that the cash he received came from his family’s unregistered money-lending operations in the province but the Anti Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said there was probable cause that the money came from illegal activities.

The CA issued the freeze order upon the request of the AMLC.

The alleged bribery came to AMLC’s attention after an anonymous letter informed the National Bureau of Investigation that P800,000 was deposited in Resado’s bank account and another P800,000 in his wife’s account.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez endorsed the letter to the AMLC, asking whether the case fell under the provisions of the Anti Money Laundering Act “considering that Resado (was) involved in the Alabang Boys illegal drug case.”

Ordered frozen were the joint account of the Resado couple at the Banco de Oro-SM Bacoor branch, Cavite as well as Resado’s account with PSBank-Padre Faura Branch.

In its petition for the freezing of Resado’s bank accounts, AMLC noted that the prosecutor’s gross annual salary stands at more that P309,000 only based on in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

In the SALN, the AMLC quoted Resado as declaring that he had “no business interests and financial connections to declare.”

But in an earlier congressional inquiry, Resado claimed his bank account comprised “liquidated assets” from a money-lending business he owned but being run by a relative in Tarlac City.

In court documents, Resado said his cash deposits were earnings from several businesses operated by his sister-in-law in Camiling Public Market, Tarlac City. He also reportedly invested in lending operations that charged a five percent monthly interest.

The lending operation and other businesses claimed by Resado, according to the AMLC, were not registered with either the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The AMLC said there are indications that Resado’s accounts “are related to the unlawful activities” in violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.