Government tries to seize 2 sisters’ ill-gotten wealth

Authorities are trying to recover the alleged ill-gotten wealth of two sisters employed at the Bureau of Customs who are facing graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman.

The ill-gotten items include a P1.5-million Lexus vehicle and a Ford Expedition worth P1.4 million.

The Department of Finance is set to file forfeiture proceedings against sisters Ana Marie Concepcion-Maglasang and Matilda Concepcion-Milare.

Maglasang has asked that she be allowed to go on leave, but she has not yet formally filed her resignation, said retired police general Nestorio Gualberto, head of the Customs Enforcement and Security Service or the Customs police force.

"She only informed me of her intention to go on leave verbally," he said. "I still have to sign her request form."

Maglasang was transferred to the Customs police force two months ago from the Port of Manila’s assessment section, he added.

Gualberto said he cannot order the suspension of Maglasang as he still has to receive a formal communication from the Office of the sOmbudsman.

"I still have to wait for the formal communication from the Office of the Ombudsman before I can do anything," he said.

Records showed Milare owns a house at Valle Verde in Pasig City, a house and a lot in Cubao, Quezon City, agricultural land in Zambales and Sorsogon City, and a 6,000-square-meter property in Mariveles, Bulacan.

She also traveled abroad six times in violation of finance department regulations.

Milare also owns a speedboat, trucks and vans "for business purposes," as well as a Honda Civic, a Nissan Exalta, a Honda CRV, a 2002 model Mitsubishi Pajero, and a 2004 model Toyota RAV4.

Maglasang, who earns at most P16,000 a month, owns a 276-square-meter lot at Filinvest East Property in Cainta, Rizal, and another one at Sierra Monte Mansions in the same town.

She also has a "two-story mansion" on a 302-square-meter lot at Royale Tagaytay Heights on Cypress street in Town and Country Executive Village in Cainta, Rizal.

Records showed that the Tagaytay property was transferred to a certain Ramon King Jr. in September 2003 for the sum of P2.5 million.

However, documents at the Tagaytay assessor’s office indicate that Maglasang is still the property’s owner.

The DOF has discovered that the following properties are registered under Maglasang’s name: a P1.4-million Pajero with vanity plate "ANA 138"; a Pajero worth P900,000; and a P1.3-million Mazda Intercoller MPV.

Maglasang was also found to own a BMW car, a 1,800-square-meter property in Antipolo, Rizal, a dollar account in an American bank, and a condominium in Los Angeles, California. — Delon Porcalla, Mike Frialde