Ombudsman probes deeper into Abadia’s assets

The Office of the Ombudsman will expand the scope of its investigation into the alleged P11.2-million ill-gotten wealth of retired Armed Forces chief Gen. Lisandro Abadia to cleanse the military of corruption, reliable sources said yesterday.

Sources said a wider probe is needed in light of reports that some junior military officers are restive because of "well-entrenched" corruption in the Armed Forces.

"We can’t afford to have another Oakwood mutiny," a source said.

There must be concrete moves to rid the military of wrongdoing to enable the government to regain the people’s trust and confidence, sources added.

Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo rejected Abadia’s defense that he earned P3.2 million in 1993 after selling 10,000 shares in Antipolo Properties Inc.

"If indeed full payment was received for shares’ prior sale, his SAL for 1992 would have reflected an amount receivable corresponding to the payments," he said.

"However, based on his 1992 SAL, which is under oath, no such accounts receivable were reflected."

Marcelo said Abadia also failed to justify his P4.2 million income in 1993 from the purported sale of shares in Palawan Oil and Gas Corp.

"Assuming… the existence of the transaction, Abadia himself stated under oath that the sale in transactions happened in 1994, and that this income were earned in 1994," he said.

"Accordingly, the said alleged income of P4.2 million for 1994 should not be included in the computation of his legitimate income for 1993 and cannot be used to justify the huge increase in his net worth."

In a 10-page petition for forfeiture, the government urged the anti-graft court to order Abadia to show cause as to why the properties in question should not be seized in favor of the government.

"Considering that Abadia’s declared net worth as of Dec. 1993 per his statement of assets and liabilities is P13.6 million, and comparing his computed net worth of P2.3 million, Abadia clearly has accumulated unexplained wealth of P11.2 million," the prosecutors said.

In November 2004, Marcelo recommended the filing of perjury charges against Abadia, citing the "untruthful" statements of assets and liabilities he had filed in 1992 and 1993.

Abadia declared in 1991 that his net worth was P3.7 million, or an increase of P670,000 from his P3.1 million SAL in 1990.

He said he was worth P6.4 million in 1992, an increase of P2.7 million, and that his assets were worth P13.6 million in 1993, or P7.1 million higher. — Delon Porcalla