Press Release
February 24, 2011

TRANSCRIPT OF SEN. DRILON'S INTERPELLATION
DURING BLUE RIBBON HEARING

(during presentation of Ligot et al Essensa condominium, other properties)

DRILON: The resource person is a clerk of court and he is not in a position to answer the probing questions of the Senate President since he is just reporting out of the records of the case. Maybe the special prosecutor can respond to the question of Sen. Enrile.

SULIT: Looking at the petition for forfeiture, this was prepared by former Ombudsman Marcelo. Perhaps you can ask him what he considered is the acquisition cost of properties of Gen. Ligot and his family.

MARCELO: Based on my recollection, we have never based it on market value. We based it on the acquisition cost since we aren't able to secure copies of the deeds of sale. We are not able to secure the deeds of sale, we secured tax declaration so the amounts are based on tax declarations. What I can definitely remember is that we have never based it on market value precisely because the point stressed by Senate President Enrile that we have to take a very conservative position when it comes to plunder although when it comes to forfeiture, it would not really matter the market or tax declaration because what we is forfeited is the property. The only moving figures are foreign currency accounts because they are based on exchange rates at the time the forfeiture was filed.

DRILON: Can the clerk of court submit the records to the committee, the records that you mentioned, so that we can have a file of the forfeiture case. The certified copies.

ZAPATA: We will submit it.

DRILON: Can I have some questions on Mr. Ligot. First, I want to remind you that you are still under oath. Did you and your wife own a condominium unit I Essensa East Forbes Condominium, Unit 19-A, located at 5th Ave. corner 21st Drive in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. Do you remember this property?

LIGOT: We do not own a unit there.

DRILON: Did you ever own a unit?

LIGOT: No.

DRILON: Now, I will show to you a deed of absolute sale, on 18 August 2003 in Quezon City, 'I, Erlinda Tecson Y Ligot, of legal age, Filipino, married to Jacinto C. Ligot with postal address at Unit 19-A Lawton Tower, Essensa, East Forbes Condominium, 5th Ave. corner 21st Drive, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Metro Manila for and in consideration of P25 million, receipt o which is hereby acknowledged... hereby set, cede, transfer and convey in favor of Edgardo T. Yambao, of legal age, Filipino, married to Isabel Yambao with place of residence at Unit 5-1 Burgundy Plaza, Katipunan Ave. Loyola Heights Quezon City... a residential condominium unit particularly described as follows:

Condominium Certificate of Title No. 6257, Registry of Deeds of the Province of Rizal Condominium Unit No. 19-A, Lawton Tower, located at 19th Elevator Tower Floor with an area of 290 square meters, more or less, with parking slots Nos. 606, 617, 619.

Now, the seller is Erlinda Tecson Y. Ligot. It was sold to Edgardo T. Yambao, your brother in law... There is a signature appearing 'with the marital consent of Jacinto C. Ligot'. Is this your signature?

LIGOT: It seems... my signature.

DRILON: It seems? Do you want to examine the document and confirm to us that this is your signature? Can I ask the secretariat to show to him the deed of sale?

LIGOT: It appears to be my signature.

DRILON: It appears to be your signature. Do you still deny that you had this condominium unit worth, today, at present value it costs P35 million. You sold it P25 million to your brother in law in 2005. Now do you remember owning this condominium?

LIGOT: This information is... nandun na po sa Sandiganbayan. Kasama ho sa kaso ito na dinidinig doon.

DRILON: Anong kaso?

LIGOT: Forfeiture po.

DRILON: Ok. That's a civil case. Is that part of the civil case?

ZAPATA: Yes your honor.

DRILON: You earlier denied that you owned this condominium, do you still maintain/deny that you did not own this?

LIGOT: My previous answer stays and as I have said this is now under...

DRILON: No no no no. At the start you said you did not own any condominium. You still maintain that answer or you now want to change that answer?

LIGOT: Your honor I'd like to invoke my right for...

DRILON: (Laughs).

ESTRADA: Ang tinatanong lang po sa inyo ni Sen. Drilon kung meron kayong naalala na isang condominium sa Essensa sapagkat nakapirma kayo sa kontrata, with marital consent, binenta nyo sa inyong bayaw. Kanina sinagot nyo si Sen. Drilon na hindi nyo alam itong Essensa. Ngayong nakapirma na kayo sa deed of sale, ganon pa rin ang sagot nyo. Buking na buking na kayo ayaw nyo pa ring umamin. Di nyo pa rin maalala.

LIGOT: Hindi po kasi your honor. Ito ay pinag-uusapan dun sa Sandigan.

ESTRADA: Ang tinatanong lang kung naalala nyo kung may condominium kayo sa Essensa. Wala po akong pakialam kung naka-file yan sa Sandigan.

LIGOT: Wala po, wala po.

ESTRADA: Wala pa rin kayong maalala eh nakapirma kayo na binenta ng misis nyo sa bayaw nyo? Wala pa rin kayong maalala?

LIGOT: Yung...

ESTRADA: No no no, answer me please, yes or no. Do you remember owning a condominium unit at Essensa? Yes or no.

LIGOT: Kung pwede lang ho magpaliwanag.

ESTRADA: Ang tanong ko sa inyo is answerable by yes or no. meron ba kayong naalala sapagkat nakapirma kayo na binenta nyo yung Essensa unit eh. Yes or no.

LIGOT: Hindi po amin yun...

DRILON: What do you mean 'hindi amin'? Hindi sa inyo yon? Kanino yon?

LIGOT: Sa kapatid.

DRILON: Kayo ang nagbenta sa kapatid ni Mrs. Ligot. Alanganamang ibenta ang hindi sa inyo.

LIGOT: Kasi po yun ngang sinabi ko, ginamit yung pangalan namin ni Mrs. Ligot diyan kasi ito po an gaming defense, defense ko at ng asawa ko sa Sandiganbayan kung paano nagkaroon ng pirma ko at saka pirma ni misis.

DRILON: Ibig mong sabihin hindi mo pirma ito at ng misis mo ito?

LIGOT: Parang yun ang pirma ko. Sinabi ko kanina your honor.

DRILON: Alam mo itong dokumentong ito notarized ito at nag notary public si Dante David at ang sinabi niya, humarap kayo sa kanya, 'personally appeared Erlinda Tecson Ligot' and he acknowledged to me that this document was executed by their free and voluntary act and deed. Kung sinasabi nyo na hindi kayo pumirma dito baka matanggalan ng lisensya itong notary public na ito?

TG: Before we proceed, are you represented by a counsel also? Do you have a counsel?

LIGOT: Yes.

TG: Please proceed.

LIGOT: We are the defense at Sandiganbayan at isa pong depensa namin is this is held in trust sa aking asawa.

DRILON: Held in trust? That's interesting. Who is the principal if you are the trustee?

LIGOT: Yun pong kapatid po nya.

DRILON: Ang kapatid nya is the principal, ganon ba?

LIGOT: Opo.

DRILON: So bakit nyo binenta sa principal kung trustee kayo? Binenta nyo sa principal, ang principal nagbayad ng P25 million. Kung siya talaga ang may-ari, dapat hindi siya nagbayad ng P25 million. Hindi po ba?

LIGOT: Kasi po yun nga ang sinasabi ko na isa sa depensa sa Sandiganbayan yung ating pinag-uusapan ngayon kaya hindi ko masyadong ma-discuss kasi yan ang depensa namin.

DRILON: Ang dokumento ganon ang pinapakita at ang sinasabi sa deed of sale na binenta nyo ng P25 million.

LIGOT: Kasi po may mga pangyayari po na... bago mangyari yan. At ito po ang aming depensa dun sa kaso namin.

DRILON: Ngayon, ano ang hanapbuhay ng inyong brother in law?

LIGOT: Sa pagkakaalam ko, merong mga... nagte trade siya. Pero hindi ko masyadong alam kung ano ang...

DRILON: Gaano na kayo katagal mag asawa ni Erlinda? Naalala nyo pa ba o nakalimutan nyo na rin?

LIGOT: Kami po'y nag-asawa 1987.

ESTRADA: '87?

DRILON: 1987?

LIGOT: Ahh, 1977 po.

DRILON: Since 1977, kilala nyo na ang brother in law. Tama po ba yan?

LIGOT: Opo.

DRILON: Ano ang pagkaalam mo sa kanyang trabaho?

LIGOT: Siya po ay nagbi-business.

DRILON: Meron ba siyang sapat na kinikita?

LIGOT: Hindi ko po masagot yan...

DRILON: Hindi ba nag-retire siya nung 1999?

LIGOT: Hindi ko po alam.

DRILON: At hindi mo rin alam na mula nung 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, limang taon wala siyang finile na income tax return dahilan sa wala siyang income. Hindi mo rin alam yon?

LIGOT: Hindi ko na po alam yon.

DRILON: Nasa record yan ng Department of Justice at BIR mula nang mag-retire sya from 1999-2004 wala siyang finile na income tax return dahil ang sabi nya wala siyang income. Ngayon nakakapagtaka bigla na lang nakabili ng condominium na P25 million mula sa inyo. Ngayon, ito po bang condominium na ito nireport nyo sa inyong statement of assets and liabilities?

LIGOT: Hindi po.

DRILON: Ito bang tinanggap nyong pera na P25 million nireport nyo sa inyong statement of assets and liabilities?

LIGOT: Wala pong... palitan po yan kaya isa po sa depensa namin yung...

TG: Hindi po please answer, nareport ba o hindi?

LIGOT: Hindi po nareport.

DRILON: Hindi mo nireport yung inyong condominium, hindi nyo nireport yung natanggap nyong P25 million. Sa katunayan, nasa inyong statement of assets and liabilities, and cash nyo nung 2002 ay P400,000 lamang. Chineck ko yung filings nyo sa Commission on Appointments nung kayo ay dumaan for confirmation. Hindi kasama in 2003 yung inyong natanggap ng proceeds ng sale kaya hindi namin maintindihan kung saan nanggaling itong malaking perang ito. So anyway, we would like to have Mr. Edgardo Yambao, the brother in law of Gen. Ligot who appears not only the owner of the condominium unit which at today's price is already about P35 million... Gen. Ligot does not have sufficient income per his own income tax return nor was this reported in his statement of assets and liabilities... we do not know who is the actual owner up to this point if it is really Gen. Ligot or the brother in law... would you know who is the occupant of condominium 19-A in Lawton Tower of Essensa?

LIGOT: Ah, hindi ko po alam.

DRILON: Alam ba yan ng brother in law mo?

LIGOT: Maaari po.

DRILON: Pwede nyo bang sabihin kung ano ang address ng inyong brother in law? Kasi sinasabi nya na siya ay nasa Marikina for the last 16 years. Nung pina-check namin sa Marikina sa kanyang subdivision ay wala na raw siya doon. Tinuturo kami doon sa abugado nyo. Eh yung abugado niyo sinasabi na hindi siya ang abugado ni Yambao. Pero siya rin ang abugado ni Jocjoc Bolante at ni Iggy Arroyo ayon sa mga report. Ang abugado nyo, si Antonio Zulueta, sang-ayon sa report na lumalabas sa diyaryo, abugado rin ni Jocjoc Bolante at Iggy Arroyo. Pero hindi sya ang abugado ni Yambao. Pwede nyo po bang sabihin sa amin kung saan nakatira itong si Edgardo T. Yambao?

LIGOT: Kung minsan po nasa condominium niya sa Burgundy...

DRILON: Burgundy Towers.

LIGOT: Yun po.

TG: Anong unit?

LIGOT: Hindi ko po masigurado kung ano ang specific unit niya doon.

TG: Pero sa Burgundy Towers yon?

LIGOT: Yun ang inuuwian niya paminsan-minsan po.

DRILON: Yung Burgundy Towers, unit 5-1 on the 5th floor of Burgundy Towers. Binili rin po ito ni Mr. Yambao noong 1999, doon sa Katipunan Ave. Loyola Heights Quezon City. Binili po ito ng inyong brother in law. Alam nyo po ba?

LIGOT: Hindi ko po alam ang mga detalye niyan.

DRILON: Binili nya ito nang mahigit sa P1.4 million noong 1999. Nung 1999 ang inyong brother in law walang ifinile na income tax return dahil ang sabi nya sa ay walang income kaya wala syang ITR� ngunit siya ay nakabili ng condominium unit na nagkakahalaga ng P1.4 million. Siya rin po ay nakabili ng maraming mga sasakyan: Toyota Highlander was purchased by Edgardo T. Yambao for P2.8 million in Nov. 2001; he also purchased Subaru Forester for P1.174 million on July 23, 2002. Again wala siyang finile na income tax return dahil wala siyang income. Alam nyo sa akin misteryoso itong brother in law na ito. Marami din syang bank accounts. In 2002, there were deposits of $775,380 and P70 million and yet he has no income tax return for that year. In 2003, deposits of $2,389,485 in the account of Edgardo Yambao and P20,750,527 were deposited in the name of Mr. Yambao and yet for that year there was no income tax return filed because he had no income. The same in 2004, deposited to his name as $302,321.57 and P21,558,127.73 and yet he had no income tax return for that particular year because he had no income. Our estimate, in cash and in assets, Mr. Yambao, your brother in law, had about P300 million for those years when he did not file income tax return because he had no income. That is why he is a mysterious person. We had tried to subpoena him. The subpoena had not been served because he disappeared in thin air. That is why we are trying to ask you if you know all these properties of your brother in law. Hindi mo po alam ito?

LIGOT: Yung mga sinabi nyo po di ko nakita yon.

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