THE Court of Appeals has issued a freeze order on the bank accounts and assets of suspected Central Visayas drug lord Franz Sabalones.
In an 18-page freeze order dated Jan. 19, 2017, signed by Associate Justice Carmelita Salandanan Manahan and concurred in by Associate Justices Japar Dimaampao and Franchito Diamante, the CA’s Eighth Division, said the freeze order covered Sabalones’ accounts from Banco De Oro and Wealth Bank and his various properties in Cebu.
The freeze order has a duration of six months.
It was the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas that requested for its issuance through the Anti-Money Laundering Council.
The CA said the court found probable cause the subject bank accounts and properties were “related to an unlawful activity or money laundering as defined under Republic Act 9160,” or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001.
Section 4 of the AMLA states that “money laundering is a crime whereby the proceeds of an unlawful activity as defined in the law are transacted, thereby making them appear to have originated from legitimate sources.”
“After a careful examination of the allegations stated in the application, as well as the supporting documents attached herein, the Court is convinced there is indeed a reasonable ground to believe that the bank accounts and real properties are related or have connection to the unlawful activity and/or money laundering offense.”
“Thus, probable cause exists the questioned bank accounts and real properties are being used in the laundering of the proceeds of the lawful activity which justify the issuance of the Freeze Order authorizing the AMLC to preserve the monetary instruments or property in any way deemed related to unlawful activities,” the appeals court said.
Investigation by the AMLC also showed he had as much as P70 million withdrawals in his bank accounts.
The investigation also showed that from April 19, 2011 to Sept. 11, 2012, he made bank deposits ranging from P519.3 million to P8 million.
Through Sabalones drug transactions, he was able to acquire the following properties covered by the freeze order: 3,204 square meter property in Barrio Balud, San Fernando, Cebu;
7,137 sq. m. property in Tabionan, San Fernando, Cebu; 21,387 sq. m. property also in Tabionan; 34,379 sq.m. property in Brgy. Pob. III Carcar City, Cebu;
64,998 sq.m. property in Brgy. Guadalupe, Cebu City, Cebu, and; 24,872 sq.m. property in Bo Tabionan in San Fernando, Cebu.
The appeals court required the AMLC to submit a supplemental return of the freeze order immediately following its implementation.
Sabalones, brother of San Fernando, Cebu Vice Mayor Fralz Sabalones, voluntarily surrendered to Philippine National Police Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa on Aug. 7, 2016 after he was identified by President Rodrigo Duterte as among those involved in the illegal drug trade.
He confessed that he is a drug lord operating in Central Visayas and tagged several policemen as his protectors.
He admitted that he assumed control of the drug trade in Cebu after top drug lord Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz was killed in Las Piñas.
In his judicial affidavit, he mentioned a certain Willy Yang and Roy Velez, both inmates at the New Bilibid Prison as his source of drugs.