Police asked to watch properties of Estrada cronies

The Sandiganbayan’s sheriff’s office asked yesterday the Philippine National Police (PNP) to continuously watch the properties of three fugitives who are accused of plunder along with jailed former President Joseph Estrada.

Complying with an earlier order of the court, Sheriff Edgardo Urieta asked Central Police District director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Tor to place on 24-hour surveillance the houses and properties of Estrada cronies Yolanda Ricaforte, Charlie "Atong" Ang and businessman Jaime Dichaves.

Urieta made the request after his men were prevented from implementing the writ of preliminary attachment that the anti-graft court issued on Aug. 30.

Urieta ordered all sheriffs in Metro Manila and Laguna to prevent the relatives and friends of Ricaforte, Ang and Dichaves to hide or otherwise dispose of the properties.

Urieta also issued a notice of garnishment to Equitable-PCI Bank and directed the bank "not to deliver, transfer or otherwise dispose of Jose Velarde’s accounts to any purpose or entity except to the sheriff."

In their report to acting Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Minita Chico-Nazario, Sheriffs Reynaldo Melquiades and Alexander Valencia said attempted to implement the writ of preliminary attachment on Ricaforte’s house at 25 Freedom avenue, Area I, Veterans’ Village at Pasong Tamo, Quezon City.

"(But) Mr. Eduardo Pangilinan, a caretaker of Ricaforte’s house, barred us from entering the house and the gate was padlocked. Pangilinan informed us that Ricaforte was no longer residing there since February 2001," Melquiades said in his report.

Melquiades said Pangilinan also refused to acknowledge receipt of the writ of preliminary attachment that they were serving against the Ricaforte’s property.

The sheriff said they also attempted to enforce the writ on Ang’s property on 18 Manansala street in Corinthian Gardens in Quezon City but they were also barred from entering by a certain Bernabe Ornos, Ang’s caretaker.

"Ornos informed us that Ang is presently in US and he barred us from entering the house and its gate was also padlocked. A copy of the writ of preliminary attachment was tendered to Ornos despite his claims," Melquiades said.

The sheriff said they also attempted to serve the writ at the house of Dichaves on Greenmeadows Subdivision in Quezon City but a certain Joed Galpo of the subdivision administration office said they had no record of "real and personal" properties owned and registered under Dichaves’ name.

This prompted the sheriffs to proceed to No. 19 Madrigal st. where they were met by a security guard who introduced them to village manager Tina Hilario.

Hilario called up Dichaves’ sister-in-law Sandra Champoco who instructed Dichaves’ security guard, one Romeo Salcedo, to receive the writ of preliminary attachment but prevented the lawmen to enter the house.

"The sheriffs exerted diligent efforts to enable them to enter Dichaves’ house but their efforts proved futile. However, personal properties, e.g. cars of different types and models, were inside the vicinity of Dichaves’ house," Melquiades reported.

"The sheriffs were barred by the occupants of the houses of accused Ricaforte, Ang and Dichaves from entering the premises by closing the gates and putting padlocks in their respective gates, denying the sheriffs the implementation of the amended writ of attachment on the personal properties located inside the houses of all the said accused," Melquiades added.