The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday upheld the forfeiture of the late General Jacinto Ligot’s wealth, having proof that it far exceeded his lawful income and was thus unlawfully acquired, despite some properties being placed under his family members’ names.

“The SC’s Third Division upheld the forfeiture of properties, bank deposits, and investment accounts in the name of retired Lieutenant General Jacinto C. Ligot, as well as assets traced to him but registered under his wife, children, and relatives,” the High Court said in a press release.

The Sandiganbayan discovered that the general, a commissioned comptroller during his time in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), possessed several undeclared properties, registered under his own name and the names of his wife, their children, and even his sister and his brother-in-law.

Moreover, these properties were valued at ₱102 million, and his deposits and investment funds amounted to ₱53 million.

Despite a petition from Ligot’s family claiming that the properties were not his but were lawfully acquired by relatives, the SC rejected the argument, noting that his wife and children lacked independent income sources to purchase the assets in their names.

In addition, Ligot had paid for his sister’s condominium amortizations, while the condominium listed under his brother-in-law’s name was originally bought by Ligot’s wife.

“Under Republic Act No. (RA) 1379, properties of public officers are presumed to be illegally acquired when they are manifestly out of proportion to their lawful income. This presumption applies not only to properties under the public officer’s name but also to those hidden or transferred to others, as long as true ownership can be traced to the public officer,” the Court said.

The SC emphasized that, the public officer’s true ownership having been established, registration under another individual’s name does not prevent forfeiture.