SC upholds ruling vs Abadia on ill-gotten wealth

MANILA, Philippines - Retired Armed Forces chief Lisandro Abadia was ordered yesterday to pay the government P11.2 million for accumulating unexplained wealth.

In coming to the decision, the Supreme Court said it did not find any reversible error in the Sandiganbayan’s decision.

“The Court resolves to deny the petition and affirm the Sandiganbayan decision, dated June 5, 2013 and its resolution, dated Sept. 18, 2013 in Civil Case 0195, which stated that petitioners were guilty of having unexplained wealth, amounting to P11,262,876.01 which should be forfeited in favor of the state,” read the SC decision.

SC Associate Justice Roberto Abad was designated as the Third Division’s acting chairman, and the two acting members were Associate Justices Jose Perez and Arturo Brion.

SC Third Division chairman Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. was on official leave, while Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta took no part in the deliberations.

Last June 13, the Sandiganbayan ordered Abadia and his wife to pay the government P11.2 million.

The anti-graft court said Abadia failed to explain to the court how his declared net worth in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) rose from P3.77 million in 1991 to P6.476 million in 1992, and to P13.61 million in1993.

Abadia served the Armed Forces for 36 years, beginning his military career in 1958 and retiring in 1994.

He served as chief of staff from 1991 under President Corazon Aquino until 1994 under President Fidel Ramos.

In 2005, a forfeiture petition was filed against Abadia because of reported discrepancies in his SALN.