Images from Scrambled Egg/ Law and Behold blogspots - The Sandiganbayan has ordered the assets of former Calauan mayor Antonio Sanchez forfeited
- The properties, cash and shares ordered seized in favor of the government amounted to P5.6-M
- The anti-graft court has ruled that the value of the properties is “grossly disproportionate” to the lawful income of the convicted rapist mayor
MANILA, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan has ordered the “illegally-acquired assets” of former Calauan, Laguna mayor and convicted rapist Antonio Sanchez forfeited in favor of the state in its ruling dated July 18.
Among the rapist-mayor’s assets ordered seized are the 19 parcels of land worth P679,440; a house worth P100,800; three luxury vehicles (including two Mercedes Benz sedans and a Dodge Caravan van) worth P4.3 million; P246,120 cash in the bank; and shares in ERAIS Lending company including accrued dividends worth P350,000.
Described by the anti-graft body as “illegally-acquired assets” in its 33-page decision, its value is estimated to be P5.6-million, which is still lower than the P15.7 million originally sought by government lawyers.
“We find the respondents’ assets and expenses grossly and manifestly disproportionate to their legitimate income, and, thus, these assets and the funds used for the disproportionate expenses were unlawfully acquired, and, hence, subject to forfeiture,” said the ruling penned by Associate Justice Rafael Lagos of the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division.
All forfeited assets are in Sanchez and his wife Editha’s name.
State prosecutors alleged that the value of the properties is “grossly disproportionate” to the lawful income of Sanchez and his wife.
Before his conviction in the widely-publicized rape and murder case of two University of the Philippines (UP) students in the early 90s, Sanchez served as mayor of Calauan from 1980 to 1986, then from 1988 to 1992.
His recorded salary back then was P17,724 from 1980 to 1981, P26,388 from 1981 to 1986 and P10,443 from 1988 to 1992.
“Allegedly, this gives rise to the presumption that said properties were unlawfully acquired,” the decision stated.
The prosecutors also questioned the Sanchez family’s lavish lifestyle such as sending their three children to a London school (which cost around P1-M each child), as well as their frequent travels to Japan, Hong Kong, USA, Italy, United Kingdom and Germany.
The state lawyers also noted that Sanchez once hosted a 550-headcount birthday party at the Manila Hotel.
Sanchez was convicted in 1995 for masterminding the rape and murder of UP student Aileen Sarmenta, and the murder of Sarmenta’s boyfriend, Allan Gomez.
He is currently serving seven terms of reclusion perpetua (40 years per term) for the said crime. In 1999, the Supreme Court has sentenced Sanchez with another double-life term for a different case, effectively giving him a total of 360 years to be spent in jail.
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