Philippines extends freeze order on suspected terrorist's assets

The Court of Appeals on Tuesday granted the government's petition to extend for another four months the freeze order on several bank accounts of suspected terrorist Hilarion del Rosario Santos, alias Ahmed Santos - the alleged founder of the terror group Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSG).

In a five-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Teresita Dy-Liacco Flores, the CA’s Special Second Division granted the ex-parte petition filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council to extend the freeze order against certain properties and assets in the name of Santos or his aliases, Hilarion delos Santos Jr, Hilarion del Rosario Santos III and Ricardo Ayeras.

The original freeze order issued by the CA expired last September 26, prompting the Office of the Solicitor General, representing the AMLC, to ask for an extension and for the junking of respondent’s motion to lift the freeze order.

With the CA’s ruling, the freeze order on Santos’ assets was extended until January 25, 2009.

The appellate court agreed with the argument of the OSG that the freeze order does not prevent respondent from using or earning a living from said properties, and that its purpose was merely to prevent the disposition of the subject property pending the completion of the AMLC’s investigation for possible filing of a civil forfeiture case against respondents.

“What the freeze order seeks to prevent is only the disposal or alienation of said properties during the effectivity of the said order. The Court notes that aside from Santos’ bare assertions that he is not engaged in any unlawful activity, he has not attached any proof of his innocence," the CA ruled.

The Court said that the AMLC presented prima facie evidence of his illegal activities that led to the issuance of warrants of arrest against him for rebellion and 21 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom, which the CA noted was needed by the group to fund its terrorist activities.

Santos converted to Islam while working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1991 and where he received bomb-making training. He was captured by military officials in October 2005 for involvement in organizing and planning bomb attacks in predominantly Christian cities in the country and was subsequently convicted of rebellion.

He was arrested with his wife Fatima and five other people while they were sleeping in a hideout in southern Zamboanga city.

The RSM, which he founded, is believed to have forged an alliance with the Abu Sayaff and the regional militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, both of which are linked to the al-Qaeda.

The military has been linking Santos, his brother Dawud and their group to the Valentine’s Day bombing in 2005 that killed eight people and injured a hundred others and to the bombing of a passenger ferry off Bataan last year that claimed over a hundred lives.

Also, the group has been linked to the alleged plot to blow up the US embassy in Manila, the kidnapping of 21 foreigners in Sipadan, Malaysia and the foiled Lenten holiday bombing in Malate in 2006.

During his arrest, Santos was said to have been getting foreign funding through his bank account.

His group also reportedly established a training camp in his family's property in Pangasinan, where an Al Qaeda suicide cell allegedly trained before the 9/11 attacks.

Santos’ capture prompted the US government to pay P26 million reward to two tipsters who provided information for his arrest, as he was also tagged for alleged involvement in the September 11, 2005 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York and related attacks.

In its ruling, the CA likewise ordered that the Register of Deeds of Pangasinan and Quezon City to annotate on the respective transfer certificates of titles (TCT) and the freezing of several of Santos’ properties until the duration of the freeze order.

Among these assets were a property located at no. 50 Purdue St. cor. Ermin Garcia in Cubao, QC; and a 25-hectare property in Barangay Mal-Ong in Anda, Pangasinan.

The BPI Family Savings Bank in Kalentong, Mandaluyong was likewise ordered to continue to freeze Account no. 5036217881 under the name of Ricardo Ayeras, and all related web accounts.

Source: GMANews.TV