QUEZON CITY, Philippines — The bulk of assets targeted in state corruption cases remain tied up in preservation status rather than fully turned over to government coffers, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) disclosed during plenary debates on the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.
House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson and Negros Oriental 2nd District Representative Ma. Isabel Sagarbarria clarified the distinction on Tuesday, September 22, in response to queries raised by PHILRECA Party-list Representative Presley de Jesus regarding actual government recoveries versus initial freezes.
Serving as the AMLC’s budget sponsor, Sagarbarria explained to the deputy minority leader that while the agency has successfully restricted billions of pesos in tainted funds, a temporary freeze order does not immediately equate to final asset forfeiture.
Financial data presented during the session outlined the scale of frozen assets and ongoing court proceedings:
- Overall Frozen Funds: As of January 2026, roughly ₱24.7 billion in assets connected to suspected public sector project irregularities stood under freeze orders.
- Flood Control Petitions: Half of the 30 freeze orders granted by the Court of Appeals in 2025 involved graft allegations, with 14 instances tied to flood mitigation project anomalies totaling ₱20.26 billion. By mid-September 2026, flood-related forfeiture petitions reached 22 cases representing approximately ₱16 billion.
- Recent Civil Forfeitures: During the first six months of 2026, 18 out of 28 civil forfeiture petitions stemmed from corruption probes, covering ₱15.76 billion—accounting for 57 percent of all preserved funds in that timeframe. An additional ₱1.01 billion was preserved across five active orders as of June 30.
The AMLC noted that these cases remain active before various Regional Trial Courts, which must complete full trials before issuing final forfeiture judgments.
Looking at historical recovery metrics since 2006, Sagarbarria noted that tribunals have handed down 106 forfeiture orders encompassing ₱2.17 billion. From that total, ₱774 million was restored to victimized parties, ₱166 million went directly into the national treasury, and ₱119 million was allocated to the Office of the Ombudsman.
Plenary discussions on the AMLC’s proposed fiscal allocation were officially closed on the same day without objections from either majority or minority lawmakers.