TRANSCRIPT OF SEN. DRILON'S INTERPELLATION ON BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE HEARING ON GARCIA PLEA DEAL

DRILON (questioning Garcia): Can we ask you whether or not you confirm that for the period Pct. 5-8, 2004, you withdrew a total of P128,272,944.50 in these financial institutions indicated.

GARCIA: During the last hearing, I mentioned that this was the report submitted by AMLC for trial at Sandiganbayan regarding my plunder case, which up to now is pending resolution. My plea bargaining agreement is pending resolution. Congress has forwarded their recommendation for the recall of this agreement. I still have forfeiture cases pending which again this information, these issues are intimately related to the issues pending at Sandiganbayan. That's why answers related to these would be an injurious disclosure. I invoke my right against self-incrimination.

DRILON: Just confirm that this is on the record in the Sandiganbayan.

GARCIA: Yes your honor.

DRILON (questioning Ligot): In 2001, what was your rank?

LIGOT: I think I was a Major General.

DRILON: And what was your position then?

LIGOT: I was the Division Commander of 2nd Division, Tanay Rizal.

DRILON: Who was the Chief of Staff then?

LIGOT: Gen. Villanueva.

DRILON: What was your salary as Major General? Just approximately.

LIGOT: About P30,000... ballpark figure sir.

DRILON: P30,000 a month. Roughly P360,000 a year.

LIGOT: Yes your honor.

DRILON: Did you have any other activity or profession or business which gives you substantial income at your point? Or it was just basically your salary that was your source of income?

LIGOT: In my recollection, I think that's what I get from the government.

DRILON: In your recollection without being very specific, more or less that was reflected in your income tax return.

LIGOT: Yes your honor.

DRILON: No other income. Erlinda is your wife, is that correct?

LIGOT: Yes.

DRILON: Paolo is your son.

LIGOT: Miguel is your son.

LIGOT: Yes.

DRILON: Riza is your daughter.

LIGOT: Yes.

DRILON: Edgardo T. Yambao is who?

LIGOT: Brother of my wife.

DRILON: Hilda Velasquez, do you know Hilda Velasquez?

LIGOT: Cousin of my wife your honor.

DRILON: Antonio and Cristina Laurel, do you know them?

LIGOT: They are friends.

DRILON: What is the profession of your wife?

LIGOT: At present, none.

DRILON: In 2001, do you recall?

LIGOT: I can't recall but I think housewife your honor.

DRILON: What about Paolo Ligot, in 2001-2004? What was his source of income?

LIGOT: He managed a farm.

DRILON: Which farm was it?

LIGOT: Farm in Mindanao your honor. Bukidnon.

DRILON: What kind of income did he earn? Was it substantial? Hundreds of thousands, or just very simple farm I assume.

LIGOT: Yes.

DRILON: What years? Not much income from there?

LIGOT: About P20,000-30,000.

DRILON: What about Riza?

LIGOT: Riza was employed sa call center.

DRILON: And probable she earned P20,000-30,000 a month also, more or less?

LIGOT: More or less your honor.

DRILON: What about Miguel Ligot?

LIGOT: He's a student.

DRILON: Edgardo Yambao? What was his profession or business?

LIGOT: I think he was engaged in business but I'm not very sure.

DRILON: (Flashing presentation on Ligot's summary of bank withdrawals and deposits) Gen. Ligot, this is based on court records of the Regional Trial Court of Makati Branch 61. In 2001, the records showed that you deposited in your account in AFPSLAI and Citibank... First let's start with Citibank. You deposited in Citibank under Account No. 8-143020917 the amount of $351,841.60 between Nov. 5, 2001 and Dec. 14, 2001. This is based on the records. Was this reported in your income tax return as an income?

LIGOT: I think these information are included... kasama dun ho sa kaso sa Sandiganbayan and with due respect I would like to invoke my right...

DRILON: Tinatanong ko po kung ito ay sinama niyo sa ITR?

LIGOT: Hindi ko po matandaan.

DRILON: Your record of your SAL is on file with the Commission on Appointments when you were confirmed. This was not reported in you SAL. Why? Do you remember?

LIGOT: Again your honor with due respect, these are in the cases in the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan and I would like to invoke my right against self-incrimination.

DRILON: Since you keep on invoking that like Gen. Garcia, let me just go through this for purposes of the record. These banks and the names of the accounts are just a summary of what I have which include specific account numbers. For example I mentioned Citibank where you deposited between the period Nov. 5, 2001-Dec. 14, 2001 the sum of $351,841.60. And down the line, in your joint account in Citibank in 2001, there was a deposit of P21,486,086.51. In PSBank, a deposit of P1,502,393.81. And there were withdrawals. In 2001 you withdrew $101,356.52.

And there was Edgardo T. Yambao who has no known income also has deposited $202,716.81. I'll just go through the total. I'll show to you how much was you total deposit and withdrawal and how much was frozen by AMLC. Naunahan mo yun AMLC na-withdraw mo lahat e.

The grand total of the deposit from 2001-2005 is a staggering total of $8,740,742.43 and P171,258,296.25 including those in the names of Hilda Velasquez whom you admitted is your relative and Antonio Laurel whom you admitted is your friend.

You withdrew the amounts $8,744,901.67 and P185,665,239.67. And then what was frozen is about $1.3 million and P2.1 million.

You know Gen. Ligot, if you compute all of these and just convert the dollar to P55 to a dollar, all of this, in four years' time, totals P740 million just in cash, excluding the real estate in the US mentioned by Sen. Estrada.

These are all based on records and I have all the bank account numbers. How did you accumulate all of these sums? Can you comment on this or you invoke again your right against self-incrimination?

LIGOT: Your honor again with due respect this has been in court for litigation.

DRILON: But you confirm that this appears in the court records, in the RTC of Makati?

LIGOT: I don't know sir. Maybe yes, maybe no.

DRILON: Special prosecutor, are you paying attention to this?

SULIT: Yes your honor.

DRILON: Is this the first time that you see this?

SULIT: Yes your honor.

DRILON: Very good. Very efficient. Are there pending cases in your office against Gen. Ligot?

SULIT: There are your honors. The forfeiture case before the 4th Division that was filed by Ombudsman Marcelo. I'm wondering why...

DRILON: Can you please... you have all your chances later all right! Let me just ask the question first. So it is a civil case for forfeitures?

SULIT: Yes your honor.

DRILON: Have you been made aware of these records indicating the bank accounts of Gen. Ligot?

SULIT: These bank records are not included in the petition for forfeiture. Only real properties your honors.

DRILON: But are you aware of these bank accounts?

SULIT: Personally your honor this is the first time that I saw the records here, these bank accounts, and I'm just wondering why they are not included in the petition for forfeiture filed by Ombudsman Marcelo.

DRILON: The AMLC director-general is here. Did you ever furnish the Office of the Ombudsman of these records?

AMLC's VICENTE AQUINO: To my recollection and based on our records, the features pertaining to the frozen assets were provided the Office of the Ombudsman by our office.

DRILON: Do you recall when did you give the records on the frozen assets to the Ombudsman>

AQUINO: When our investigators coordinated with the Office of the Ombudsman, this was sometime in 2007 or 2008 your honor.

DRILON: So it has been with you since 2007 or 2008 Madam Special Prosecutor? What did you do since that time?

SULIT: Never was there a record�

DRILON: Just the frozen.

SULIT: ...was ever submitted to me for my action. I don't know to whom that was submitted. Perhaps we can ask clarificatory questions to Atty. Aquino.

DRILON: So to whom was it submitted Atty. Aquino, to the Office of the Ombudsman?

AQUINO: It was personally delivered to the Office of the Ombudsman herself.

DRILON: The Ombudsman being?

AQUINO: Gutierrez. We delivered these documents to her office?

DRILON: Who delivered it?

AQUINO: Two of our investigators--Ms. Alice Valderama-Torres and Atty. Roland Villaluz.

DRILON: Mrs. Torres, when did you deliver it to the Office of the Ombudsman?

TORRES: As far as I recall, it was sometime May 2008 with the Ombudsman herself, honorable Merceditas Gutierrez. It was during lunch time. In her office, together with our legal officer Roland Villaluz. After that we gave it to the prosecutor handling the case. There was no transmittal letter.

DRILON: But you handed it to them, personally?

TORRES: Yes your honor.

DRILON: In 2008 what have you done about this?

SULIT: At that time I was not yet the special prosecutor. And the handling prosecutor of the forfeiture case was Deputy Special Prosecutor Cordelio Sulido.

TORRES: Prosecutor Joji Capistrano.

DRILON: Prosecutor Capistrano was made aware of this. And Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

TORRES: Yes your honor.

DRILON: Up to this point, no graft case has been filed against Gen. Ligot or at the very least unexplained wealth?

SULIT: Your honor we have a forfeiture case, covering the bank accounts...

DRILON: But the frozen accounts of over P71 million the equivalent of $1.3 million and P2.1 million or a total of P73.6 million which was frozen and the records of which were delivered to your office nearly three years ago. No graft cases or unexplained wealth has ever been filed.

SULIT: Your honors, may I beg the indulgence of this honorable body to please give us time to verify from our records what happened to the report...

DRILON: You have time to do that. But just for the record, you are saying that there is no graft case pending at this time.

SULIT: Yes your honor. There's no graft case.

DRILON: Well, because no graft case has been filed, there can be no anti-money laundering case that can be filed because there is no predicate crime, which the Anti-Money Laundering Council can rely on. That is the effect of the non-filing of any graft case Madam Special Prosecutor. That's a law.

SULIT: There may be a possibility that it was referred to a fact-finding investigation or a preliminary investigation...

DRILON: The fact is there is testimony that it was referred to the Office of the Ombudsman nearly three years ago. The fact is, as we talk today, there is no graft case pending.

SULIT: Yes your honor.

DRILON: I have no more questions. Just to emphasize that you know here is the record showing between that Maj. Gen. Ligot, the wife, their children, friends and relatives a total of P740 million was accumulated in 4 years. Out of which over P666.6 million in dollars and in pesos were withdrawn before the accounts could be frozen. That is what is shown in these documents.