Late Maguindanao gov, wife indicted over ill-gotten wealth

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the filing of a civil forfeiture case against the late Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and his wife Laila Uy Ampatuan to recover P54.965 million worth of alleged ill-gotten wealth.

In a resolution approved by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on Dec. 23, 2016 and released to the media yesterday, the Office of the Ombudsman said Ampatuan Sr. failed to declare several real estate properties, vehicles and firearms in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) for years 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007.

The ombudsman said that even the declared assets of Ampatuan for those years were also “manifestly” out of proportion to his salary as governor of Maguindanao and to other lawful income and income from legitimately acquired properties.

The ombudsman pointed out Ampatuan’s “declared and undeclared” assets for years 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007 amounted to P61.151 million composed of P48.911 million for real properties, P10.517 for vehicles and P1.722 million for firearms.

The ombudsman added that for those years, Ampatuan only had a total income of P6.235 million, thus there was a total of P54.965 million worth of assets whose sources remain unexplained.

“There is clear and convincing evidence that Ampatuan accumulated wealth manifestly disproportionate to his lawful and legitimate income for 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007, and he and his family failed to lead modest lives appropriate to their positions and income due to their extravagant and ostentatious display of wealth,” the ombudsman said.

The ombudsman pointed out that under the law the properties are presumed to have been unlawfully acquired.