MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee was forced to temporarily suspend its hearing Thursday on the alleged military corruption after the wife of embattled former military comptroller Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot got emotional when she faced the Committee members for the first time.

After threats of being arrested, Erlinda Ligot finally faced the Senate’s investigation panel supposedly to answer senators’ queries on the two properties she allegedly purchased in the United States (US),
and the frequent travel trips she had when her husband was still active in the military service as the budget officer.

But an emotional Mrs. Ligot forced Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada to call for a one-minute suspension.

Prior to this, Estrada asked Mrs. Ligot if she is well enough to testify. To which Mrs. Ligot replied: “To tell you frankly, I’m not (feeling) good enough.”

Afterwards, Mrs. Ligot started crying and could not compose herself. Her husband was seen helping her to a glass of water.

A check on her blood pressure by the Senate medical staff showed that her blood pressure went up to 180/120.

She was then brought to the Senate clinic in a wheelchair.

During the same hearing, Sen. Franklin M. Drilon, chairman of the Senate finance committee, asked yesterday the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to file tax evasion charges against Edgardo Yambao, the controversial brother-in-law of Ligot, for not having filed his income tax on an alleged accumulated dollar and peso bank accounts amounting to R255 million in the early 2000s.

The request was made at the sixth public hearing by the Senate Blue Ribbon committee on the alleged widespread corruption at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the controversial plea bargaining agreement (PBA) entered into by government prosecutors detailed with the Office of the Ombudsman and retired AFP Maj. Gen. Carlos F. Garcia.

The controversy revolved around the decision of Garcia to return about R130 million out of the R303 million that he allegedly skimmed from government funds and the reduction of the heavy criminal offense of plunder to indirect bribery and money laundering to facilitation of money laundering filed against him.

Appearing before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee chaired by Sen. Teofisto L. Guingona III, Yambao belied the allegations that he also served as dummy for the Ligot couple which, along with the Ligot children, their relatives, including Yambao himself, and friends, had at one time R740 million in dollar and peso accounts at several banks from 2001 to 2005.

Tale of 2 Erlindas
The Ligot family supposedly has two houses in California while the ownership of eight other houses in California are still being checked, Estrada said.

During the hearing, Estrada, presented a grant deed for a house issued in November, 2004 that shows that “Erlinda Ligot, an unmarried woman” granted to “Erlinda Yambao, an unmarried woman,” a property in the City of Buena Park, County of Orange, State of California.

Estrada said he is perplexed why Ligot’s wife declared her civil status as unmarried and used her maiden name when she bought the property.

In the same hearing, Edgardo Yambao said he was engaged in a legitimate business that made him financially capable to own expensive houses and condominiums, and luxury cars. He also admitted having had a house in Melbourne, Australia, and having gone abroad frequently during the course of his business dealings.

He, however, denied having owned the $3.7 million and P70 million cash deposits at the Citibank, Metrobank, and United Overseas Bank (UOB) from January 2001 to Dec. 31, 2005, where these deposits total P255 million.

After wishing that this amount would be given to him freely by any donor, Yambao refused to state directly whether he would waive ownership of the bank accounts, saying this is part of a forfeiture case pending before the Sandiganbayan.

Drilon reminded Yambao that based on this unreported R255 million cash deposit, he (Yambao) stands to pay a potential R91million income tax liability, excluding interests and sanctions.

‘’We have shown Yambao could not have earned these … (bank accounts),’’ Drilon said.

On several occasions, Yambao refused to answer several questions asked by Drilon on his financial dealings, invoking his right against self incrimination and his right ‘’to protect the privacy of other parties.’’

Drilon pointed out that Yambao had personal and real properties amounting to P30 million and that Yambao also bought a pricey Essensa condominium at Fort Bonifacio from the Ligot couple for P25 million, based on a deed of sale on Aug. 18, 2003.

The Essensa property is part of the properties which are the subject of forfeiture proceedings at the Sandiganbayan.

For refusing to talk of his alleged secret bank deposits and other properties, Drilon said there is no other conclusion to be made other than that Yambao is a dummy for the Ligot couple.

“I will never admit I’ll be a dummy,’’ Yambao insisted, stressing that he had reduced his business activity owing to his heart problems.

Drilon noted that the lawyer of the Ligots and Yambao is Antonio Zulueta who was also the legal counsel of former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn ‘’Joc Joc’ Bolante on the P740 million fertilizer scam; Jose Vidal on the alleged unexplained poll expenses of the Arroyo for vice presidential campaign in 1988; and Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, brother-in-law of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Because of this, Drilon said he was not surprised over Yambao’s invocation of his same right against self-incrimination.