Philippine ex-general faces corruption charges
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-13 21:04

The Philippines' anti-graft agency on Tuesday charged the army's former finance officer for amassing assets disproportionate to his salary as part of a probe into corruption, which is believed to be rife in the military, the Associated

Simeon Marcelo, head of the anti-graft Ombudsman, said corruption charges were filed against retired Major-General Jacinto Ligot, who is accused of accumulating up to 135 million pesos ($2.4 million) in cash and real estate. His monthly salary was about $733.

"Taken together, the total worth of properties was manifestly out of proportion to his income as a public officer and his other lawful income," Marcelo said in an indictment sent to the anti-corruption court, Sandiganbayan.

Ligot has not yet appeared before a court and has not publicly commented on the accusations.

He served as the Philippine military's deputy chief of staff for comptrollership in 2000, which the Ombudsman claimed he used to amass his wealth, acquiring expensive high-rise apartments in Manila's business district and farm land.

He also has a fleet of cars and two residences in Los Angeles, California, the Ombudsman said in its complaint.

Ligot's successor, Major-General Carlos Garcia, now facing military and civilian courts for unexplained wealth of up to $2 million, is being held in a national police jail.

The military court hearings and separate criminal cases are part of a high-profile drive against graft, but analysts doubt the investigation will extend very far into the upper levels of the military and government.

Ligot is the third officer from the army's finance service to face criminal cases. Apart from Garcia, Lieutenant-Colonel George Rabusa, a former budget officer, is facing similar charges accusing him of illegally accumulating up to $775,000 in assets.

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