Ampatuans: Billionaires of 3rd poorest province?
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One of the Ampatuans' mansions in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao |
MANILA, Philippines - Officially, the networth of the Ampatuan clan's patriarch is P11 million. Unofficially, however, the wealth of embattled Andal Ampatuan Sr., former Maguindanao governor, and his family members, could reach up to at least P1.3 billion.
The official accounting of Ampatuan Sr.’s wealth was based on the 2002 statement of assets, liabilities and networth disclosed by the Maguindanao governor to the government.
Aside from Ampatuan Sr., who has been a politician for decades, other relatives also hold various public positions. Public officials are required to submit an accounting of their wealth for transparency.
Recently, Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said the government is already moving to freeze the assets of the Ampatuan clan and that the Anti-Money Laundering Council has started looking into the assets of the Ampatuans.
She said a freeze order on the Ampatuan's wealth may be forthcoming.
Mansions
The P11 million official networth of the Ampatuan Sr. is far from the reported assets believed to be owned by the clan he heads.
He and family members are reported to own the following properties:
- 16 homes in Davao City
- 14 houses located in Maguindanao province, divided among family members
- 2 houses in nearby Tacurong City in adjacent Sultan Kudarat province
- 2 mansions in Metro Manila - one in Makati City and another in posh Alabang village.
These properties, believed to be listed under different names, are estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of pesos.
Billionaire Ampatuan
An ABS-CBN News source said almost all of the houses have vaults that contain weapons and cash.
According to a source from the police, the cash of the Ampatuans, hidden in various locations, aggregate to about P1.3 billion.
Another source said total cash could reach up to P3 billion since the Ampatuans prefer to stay liquid instead of stashing them in bank accounts or other financial instruments that are regulated.
In the latest raid conducted by the military on several Ampatuan homes in Maguindanao, no cash was retrieved.
Authorities suspect the family was able to hide the money before martial law was declared over the province.
Sources familiar with the wealth and investments of the Ampatuans said the family’s personal bank accounts, as well as the company accounts of their businesses, have also been cleaned out.
Poor kingdom
If these are true, the Ampatuans have amassed billions of pesos in wealth while the rest of Maguindanao wallowed in poverty.
The National Statistics Coordinating Board said Maguindanao is the third poorest province in the Philippines.
The Ampatuans own several businesses in the province, including a gasoline station and a pawnshop.
The government is currently studying assets of the Ampatuan clan that could not have been acquired with their meager salaries as public officials.
After the government concludes its investigation into the massacre and rebellion cases against the Ampatuans, its next target is the unlawfully accumulated assets of the clan. Executive secretary Eduardo Ermita said these will be frozen and seized. - from a report of Ces Drilon, ABS-CBN News
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LIKE BILLIONAIRE ARROYO LIKE BILLIONAIRE PUPPET AMPATUAN
The Ampatuan clan and billionaires of poor Maguindanaoans learns a lot from their sponsor, billionaire Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo family of Isabela, Negros Occidental and Lubao, Pampanga.
BTW, Queen Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is the daughter of Don Diosdado Macapagal, the boy from the poor family of Lubao, Pampanga, while Mike Arroyo is the grandson of Iloilo politician Mariano Arroyo, the Jueteng protector at the time. LOL.
Gloria PANDAK Arroyo could
Gloria PANDAK Arroyo could not even guarantee the safety of her employee (JUDGE) and his family because of Gloria's ties to the AMPATUAN clan which she professed friendly relations to these band of criminals.
there will no fair trial. convicting the AMPATUAN clan will be a death sentence to GLORIA herself because AMPATUAN senior will be singing like a canary to what really happened in previous elections in Maguindanao.
all the cheating, lying and stealing will be known for sure.
if GLORIA dies there will be no one crying in her funeral except for her corrupt family, corrupt cabals and her cabalens who she continously bribe through various projects at the expense of the whole Filipino taxpayers.
THE RICH AND THE POOR
the philippines have become a dangerous place to live in and to visit according to travel advisory, this is what we project to the international community. we are a country of corrupt leaders and weaklings. we find new reasons for future uprisings caused by the disparity of the rich and the powerful over the poor and the exploited filipino people. so sad to note that the perpetuators of crime and violence are people with great responsibility called and elected by the people. what solutions do we find for this country? corruption is widespread and the political system has corrupted our whole nation and people...so sad. wait for the twist and turns of events that will come from these evils perpetuated by elected yet corrupt leaders. this is the crisis of this country. leaders are corrupt and weaklings. they are greed of power and they are drunk of their power. the filipino people need a new revolution but we propose not of power strugggle and violence but internal change of heart from each one of us...GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES.
I UNDERSTAND
NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY MILF ARE UP IN ARMS AND HAVE A HOLY WAR WITH MOST CORRUPT AND EVIL AMPATUANS. BROTHER MUSLIMS WALLOWING IN POVERTY IN MINDANAO BECAUSE OF THE LIKES OF AMPATUANS. MADAM GLORIA HOW MANY WARLORDS ARE YOU CUDDLING IN MINDANAO? DON'T TELL THE MUSLIMS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW THE AKBHARS, THE TANS, THE DIMAPOROS AND SO MANY HONORABLES GENTLEMEN FROM MINDANAO THAT ARE IN YOUR CLIQUE?
ANO PA ANG HINIHINTAY NG MGA
ANO PA ANG HINIHINTAY NG MGA AWTORIDAD? ANG MAGUINDANAO AY NASA LUGAR NG MARYIAL LAW. DAPAT AY SAMSAMIN NG GOBYERNO ANG MAHIGIT NA 20 MANSYON NA MGA AMPATUAN NA NAIPAGAWA NILA DAHIL SA PAGNANAKAW SA KABAN NG GOBYERNO. ISIPIN NA LANG NG PAMULA UMUPO SI GLORIA SA PUWESTO NOONG 2001 AY NAMAYAGPAG NA SA PAGNANAKAW SA KABAN NG MGA MAMAMAYAN IYANG MGA AMPATUAN.
IYANG MGA PADER NA NAKABAKOD SA MGA MANSIYON AY DAPAT BUWAGIN DAHIL SA KAPAL AY MALAMANG NA DOUN NAKATAGO PA RIN ANG IBANG ARMAS NA HINDI PA NATUTUKLASAN NG MGA IMBISTIGADOR.
KUNG NOONG BAGO MALAGAY SA PUWESTO ANG MGA AMPATUAN NA ANG HALAGA NG KANILANG ARI-ARIAN NOONG 2001 AY 11 MILYON NA NAKASAAD SA STAEMENT OF ASSET AND LIABILITIES (SAL)AY IYON LAMANG DAPAT NA NASA KANILA.
the burden is on the Ampatuan to prove that they earned the additional billions through honest means.
it is clear the AMPATUANS did the massacre of 57 to 200 humans. they should spend multiple life times in jail for their neardenthal crimes.
the corrupt Generals involved in the arming and selling of various arms to the Ampatuans enough to equip 3 to 5 battalions must be haunt down to answer for their crimes against the State. imagine these weapons are being used to kill civilians and soldiers.
GLORIA'S illegal stay in power for over 9years is the worst compared to other dictators including MARCOS. she prostituted all branches and agencies of the Republic. she is basically an authoritarian ruler who abuse the will of the people.
may GOD bless the Philippines! it's not yet too late!
Land Grabbers, too
The Ampatuans were known to take other peoples' lands. Their modus operandi is to offer to buy the land of the poor owner with a very low price with a take it or leave it threat. If the landowner refuses the offer, they will take the land anyway and worst, the owner may even be killed to erase any witness. Also, except for the govt. employees, there are no work available in Maguindanao. An ordinary resident's only option is to carry a gun for the Ampatuans and receive 5000 monthly and a sack of rice. Also, the wealth of the Ampatuans came from 1) IRA (primary source), 2)Grabbed lands, 3)Govt taxes if any, and a portion of the govt. employees salary. For AMLC, you dont need to be geniuses to establish the facts that the Ampatuans wealth comes from the govt...
Corruption in the RP
I never understood corruption in the Philippines. Other Asian countries with their officials and politicians are certainly corrupt, but they seem to do it less overtly and people know that you don't steal so much that you kill the goose that lays the golden eggs (to use the cliche) or at the expense of everyone else. It's so short-sighted.
These dumbasses could have stolen a quarter or a tenth, still lived the high life and used the remaining money for what they were intended to be used for - public expenses, development, etc.
How can a corrupt politician have any pride when their province is known as the third poorest in the country and the cities and towns look awful? So I have the biggest house in the province - nobody is impressed if everyone else is living in shantytowns and everything appears third world-ish.
I just don't get it. I would feel a lot more pride pointing out a nice new highway being built in my province and foreign investors putting in manufacturing. And in a cynical sense, you do actually have a lot more to steal from if there is a lot more economic development going on. But there you have it...
ubusin na yang mga yan
UBUSIN NA ANG LAHI NG MGA AMPATUAN, MGA GAGO YANG MGA YAN. PATI NA RIN ITO SI GLORIANG DEMONYO......
This is way too gross!! They
This is way too gross!! They are BILLIONAIRES? WTF!!!
There's no wonder. This is one of the primary reasons why they have fought hardly-that they were even willing to put their lives in the line- for autonomy over their areas. So they can rob their people with hard-earned money and squander them. ABOLISH ARMM and free their constituents from the hell they have been continuously dragged into!!
These Ampatuans are not just savage animals. They are one of the high-ranking corrupt people of this land. No-remorse robbers.
We must start ending corruption in our government system through them. They should BE CUT. Slice each of their bodies into 57 slices. And feed it to crocodiles.
Poor Philippines
Because of the greed for power,wealth, and corruption our country hasn't been able to move on towards a better nation. We stayed on what we are before because our leaders never lead us to improvement,instead drag us down towards poverty and debts. And who are the rich people in this country? The political leaders whom we thought the ones who will gonna lead us to righteousness.
I believe that Gloria's administration is the most corrupt and most greedy of power and political position.
Now is the time to think and check every details of the candidate you wish to vote. Someone who could lead us to a better Philippines.