LESS than P10,000 is left in the three bank accounts of the late self-confessed drug lord Franz Sabalones, said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Central Visayas (PDEA 7).
PDEA 7 Deputy Director Thessa Albano-Tiuzen said one bank account contained P2,000 while another one had P7,000.
She suspected that Sabalones’ money had been withdrawn before the court was able to release an order to freeze all of his bank accounts and assets valued at around P350 million.
“Maybe, because the preservation order was released in 2017,” said Tiuzen in Cebuano.
The PDEA also suspected that aside from the three bank accounts, Sabalones still had other bank accounts that have not been disclosed.
They plan to make arrangements with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to track Sabalones’ bank records and relatives who served as dummies.
Sabalones had eight real estate properties under his name. The civil forfeiture cases for these properties are still being heard in court.
Tiuzen said they are still waiting for the pre-trial that will happen soon.
The AMLC also filed 98 counts of criminal charges in court for money laundering and is awaiting the resolution from the fiscal.
Since the 2017 order, all accounts and assets of Sabalones have been frozen.
Sabalones’ family strongly denied that they owned the assets, as stated in the court order.
PDEA 7 continues to monitor Sabalones’ properties through the assistance of barangay officials.
If proven that Sabalones acquired these assets using drug money, the properties would go to the National Treasury Office.
Tiuzen clarified that even if the owner of the properties is dead it would not affect the pending case in court.
On April 18, 2018, Sabalones was shot dead by an unidentified person while attending a billiard tournament in Mother Ignacia Street, Quezon City. (AYB/ RSR)