Former Cordillera police chief Eugene Martin and his family have settled a pending unexplained wealth case for P2.5 million under a compromise agreement for the termination of their forfeiture case, which was approved by the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.
Associate Justice Michael Frederick Musngi penned the decision, with concurrences from Associate Justices Lorifel Lacap Pahimna and Bayani Jacinto.
Martin and his family were named as defendants in a 2013 petition for forfeiture over an alleged P9.06 million worth of undeclared assets during his stint as the regional director of the Cordillera Administrative Region Police Regional Office.
The case originated from the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices (MOLEO) discovering that Martin’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) declared only P2.583 million in 1999 and P3.809 million in 2003. Martin was also found to have undeclared a residential lot and a cockpit arena in Pugo, La Union, residential houses and lots in Baguio City, and several vehicles registered in the names of his wife and son.
In March 2022, the Martin family initially offered to settle with a compromise agreement worth P2 million with former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, which was later increased to P2.5 million and jointly submitted to the Sandiganbayan in March 2024.
With the Martin family having shown certified proof of payment and receipts to the Office of the Ombudsman, they are now off the hook regarding the unexplained assets.
