Source: ANN
The wife of former Philippine military comptroller Jacinto Ligot broke into tears and her blood pressure shot up after she was asked by the Senate blue ribbon committee about a property she allegedly bought in California, prompting the committee to excuse Erlinda Ligot from testifying in Thursday's congressional inquiry into the alleged fund irregularities in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Her brother Edgardo Yambao earlier took the stand and denied amassing about 300 million pesos (US$6.9 million) in undeclared wealth.
Yambao also rejected claims he served as a "dummy" for the Ligot couple.
"Please forgive me, I will never admit that I am a dummy. I will never be," said Yambao at the resumption of the investigation by the blue ribbon committee on the military fund mess.
Yambao, who allegedly amassed millions of pesos without declaring any income tax return, was responding to Senator Franklin Drilon's questions and to Drilon's insinuation that he was a dummy.
Yambao allegedly amassed at least 300 million pesos in five years but did not declare any income tax return.
He also allegedly managed to buy a 25-million-peso ($576,701) condominium unit that he allegedly bought from the Ligots in 2003 even if he had no income at that time.
But under intense questioning by Drilon about the property, he invoked his right against self-incrimination, saying the issue was part of a case pending before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.
"I cannot reveal any transaction because I'm a private citizen," he said.
Yambao also denied making a total deposit of 255 million pesos ($5.8 million) in various bank accounts allegedly under his name.
"I will never admit that I had big accounts such as these I can't remember those accounts...They're not mine," he said.
But when asked by Drilon if he was willing to waive his right on these accounts since he claimed that they did not belong to him, Yambao clarified that what he was only disowning were the amounts cited in those bank accounts.
Yambao then admitted that he owned several bank accounts in the past.
When it was his sister's turn to testify, Mrs. Ligot broke down even before Senator Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada could ask the first question.
"To tell you frankly, I'm not feeling well," Mrs. Ligot said and then started to cry after Estrada asked her if she was all right.
She was brought to the Senate clinic as her blood pressure shot up to 180 over 120, prompting the committee to excuse her from the hearing.
It was the first time that Mrs. Ligot appeared in the Senate to face allegations she bought at least two houses in California.
She was absent in the previous two hearings, citing health reasons.
But senators had warned that Mrs. Ligot would face arrest should she fail again the next hearing.
Estrada, after visiting Mrs. Ligot at the clinic, said her blood pressure remained "unstable".
"The doctor told me that she's still unstable, still 180 over 120...We can't really force her to testify," said the senator.
In lieu of Mrs. Ligot, Estrada called back General Ligot to the witness stand to answer for his wife.
Estrada asked General Ligot why his wife declared that she was "unmarried" when she bought the properties in California.
"Her (Erlinda's) civil status, this might interest you General Ligot, was unmarried? Was she ashamed of you?" asked Estrada.
"I can't comment on that," the former military officer responded.
General Ligot also repeatedly invoked his right against self-incrimination when the senator pressed him again about the foreign trips allegedly made by Mrs. Ligot for the past several years.
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The wife of former Philippine military comptroller Jacinto Ligot broke into tears and her blood pressure shot up after she was asked by the Senate blue ribbon committee about a property she allegedly bought in California, prompting the committee to excuse Erlinda Ligot from testifying in Thursday's congressional inquiry into the alleged fund irregularities in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Her brother Edgardo Yambao earlier took the stand and denied amassing about 300 million pesos (US$6.9 million) in undeclared wealth.
Yambao also rejected claims he served as a "dummy" for the Ligot couple.
"Please forgive me, I will never admit that I am a dummy. I will never be," said Yambao at the resumption of the investigation by the blue ribbon committee on the military fund mess.
Yambao, who allegedly amassed millions of pesos without declaring any income tax return, was responding to Senator Franklin Drilon's questions and to Drilon's insinuation that he was a dummy.
Yambao allegedly amassed at least 300 million pesos in five years but did not declare any income tax return.
He also allegedly managed to buy a 25-million-peso ($576,701) condominium unit that he allegedly bought from the Ligots in 2003 even if he had no income at that time.
But under intense questioning by Drilon about the property, he invoked his right against self-incrimination, saying the issue was part of a case pending before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.
"I cannot reveal any transaction because I'm a private citizen," he said.
Yambao also denied making a total deposit of 255 million pesos ($5.8 million) in various bank accounts allegedly under his name.
"I will never admit that I had big accounts such as these I can't remember those accounts...They're not mine," he said.
But when asked by Drilon if he was willing to waive his right on these accounts since he claimed that they did not belong to him, Yambao clarified that what he was only disowning were the amounts cited in those bank accounts.
Yambao then admitted that he owned several bank accounts in the past.
When it was his sister's turn to testify, Mrs. Ligot broke down even before Senator Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada could ask the first question.
"To tell you frankly, I'm not feeling well," Mrs. Ligot said and then started to cry after Estrada asked her if she was all right.
She was brought to the Senate clinic as her blood pressure shot up to 180 over 120, prompting the committee to excuse her from the hearing.
It was the first time that Mrs. Ligot appeared in the Senate to face allegations she bought at least two houses in California.
She was absent in the previous two hearings, citing health reasons.
But senators had warned that Mrs. Ligot would face arrest should she fail again the next hearing.
Estrada, after visiting Mrs. Ligot at the clinic, said her blood pressure remained "unstable".
"The doctor told me that she's still unstable, still 180 over 120...We can't really force her to testify," said the senator.
In lieu of Mrs. Ligot, Estrada called back General Ligot to the witness stand to answer for his wife.
Estrada asked General Ligot why his wife declared that she was "unmarried" when she bought the properties in California.
"Her (Erlinda's) civil status, this might interest you General Ligot, was unmarried? Was she ashamed of you?" asked Estrada.
"I can't comment on that," the former military officer responded.
General Ligot also repeatedly invoked his right against self-incrimination when the senator pressed him again about the foreign trips allegedly made by Mrs. Ligot for the past several years.
