The official asset statements in question were filed two decades ago. It took over 10 years before a forfeiture case was filed in connection with unexplained wealth. It took another eight years before the Sandiganbayan resolved the case last June, ordering former Armed Forces chief Lisandro Abadia and his wife to pay the government P11.2 million. The other day, the Supreme Court upheld the Sandiganbayan order. Abadia may try to appeal the ruling.
The forfeiture case was filed in 2005 after Abadia failed to explain how his wealth rose from P3.77 million in 1991 to P6.476 million in 1992 and then to P13.61 million the next year, as declared in his official statements of assets, liabilities and net worth.
Any lesson than can be imparted from this case has been much diluted by the long litigation. The amount involved is a pittance compared to the figures mentioned in cases involving certain public officials’ alleged unexplained wealth in recent years. How long will litigation take for cases filed against the big fish?
A lot of things can be done with ill-gotten wealth in eight years. Unless frozen, the assets can earn interest, used to bankroll a business, or stashed away in a money laundering haven. It should be considered progress that a forfeiture case has been resolved within eight years, although an appeal will add to the length of litigation. Abadia’s case, however, once again highlights the fact that the weak judicial system is one of the biggest hindrances to the success of any anti-corruption campaign.