Court affirms freeze order on ex-police official’s assets

MANILA, Philippines – The freeze order on the assets of retired police Chief Superintendent Eduardo Matillano worth P4.3 million ($97,280)* stays following the denial of his motion for reconsideration for the attachment order. 

Matillano is facing charges for allegedly acquiring ill-gotten wealth in over a decade of service with the Philippine National Police (PNP). The Office of the Ombudsman alleged that he only earned a valid income of P3.426 million ($77,510) out of his total assets worth P7.73 million (P174,882). 

The prosecution team said Matillano only filed his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth from 2001 to 2003. He was a PNP official from 1994 to 2004. 

After failing to declare his assets in full, the burden to prove and explain that the assets were lawfully acquired was on Matillano’s side, the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division said.

In his motion for reconsideration, Matillano claimed that the court garnished assets that were under the name of his wife and his daughter. 

But the court said that the retired police official failed to prove that his wife had a job or was a running a business that could show proof of income. Documents also showed that a stake in the Palawan Agromate Products Inc under the name of his daughter was acquired when his daughter was only 16 years old. 

Matillano was the director of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group before he retired. – Rappler.com

$1 = P44.20