By Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:13:00 12/08/2009
MANILA, Philippines—Where did the Ampatuans get all their money?
The government has moved to freeze the assets of the powerful Ampatuan clan of Maguindanao amid questions over how its members have amassed so much wealth during their reign in the second poorest province in the country.
Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) was looking into the assets of the family, pointing out that a freeze order might be “forthcoming.”
“We’re just waiting for the AMLC to do that,” Devanadera told reporters at Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City Monday.
Money laundering is a crime in which proceeds of an unlawful activity are transacted, making them appear to have come from legitimate sources.
Palatial homes
Devanadera said an automatic freeze of the Ampatuans’ assets was not covered by Presidential Proclamation No. 1959, which placed Maguindanao under martial law since Dec. 4.
The palatial homes of the Ampatuans in Davao City and their mansions in Maguindanao province indicate that they are living beyond their visible means of income, which goes against the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
So far, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said there was still no evidence showing that the Ampatuans had used money sent for development programs in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to finance their private armies.
“That remains to be seen that is why (an) audit will be undertaken to see whether the funds sent to the region were spent for the purposes they were intended for,” Puno said in a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of the Philippines.
P10-billion budget
The ARMM, consisting of Marawi City and the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, has a budget of P10 billion this year and about the same amount in 2008.
Zaldy Ampatuan, son of Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., is the ARMM governor.
The governor—along with his father and brother, Datu Unsay Mayor Datu Ampatuan Jr.—is among the principal suspects in the Nov. 23 massacre of at least 57 people in Maguindanao.
Puno said he had asked the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to form “special groups” to initially review how funds sent for ARMM development were spent.
“The audit that is required preliminarily is of ARMM,” Puno said. “Subsequently, a similar audit will be requested perhaps, in the province of Maguindanao.”
Puno said the DBM would “review all the grants and aids, financial assistance, and other forms of financial help that have been extended to the region.”
He said the COA would then audit such funds.
Asked how quickly the DBM and the COA could come up with their findings, he said: “We would rather be thorough rather than hasty in the exercise. We want to give the regional government every opportunity to constructively report regarding this matter. So I leave it to the COA whatever timeframe they would require for this audit.”
He said it would be impressed upon the DBM and the COA the urgency of the matter.
Citing the Organic Act that created the ARMM in 1987, Puno said the autonomous regional government was required to submit a quarterly financial report.
“We have requested a special audit specifically for the purpose of finding out whether the reports required under the Organic Law are being complied with,” he said.
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