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by Adrian Ayalin, ABS-CBN News
The Sandiganbayan has ordered the garnishment of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s assets, including his real estate properties, and PHP14 million in his bank accounts.
Of the major banks and financial institutions ordered by the 5th division of the anti-graft court, only Metrobank has replied. The banki said it has garnished a total amount of PHP70,504.
Also garnished were two condominium units in San Juan worth PHP552, 960 and PHP903,210, respectively.
Residential lands in Quezon City were also garnished. These had market values of PHP450,000; PHP228,590; PHP1,368,000; PHP7,178,830, and PHP927,000.
A commercial land, meanwhile, had a market value of PHP2,739,080.
Agricultural lands in Lipa, Batangas, worth PHP169,171 and PHP297,506, were also garnished.
A garnishment is a court order to protect the interests of the state and to ensure that the assets are returned to public coffers in case a person is found guilty of plunder.
The Office of the Ombudsman filed the petition to garnish Estrada’s assets back in February.
“One of the penalties under the Plunder Law, under Section 2, is that If there’s any finding of ill-gotten wealth that would be decided by the court, then these properties would have to be forfeited in favor of the state,” Assistant Ombudsman Asryman Rafanan earlier said.
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
Photo: News clip
