The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has secured some P6.3 billion worth of assets under freeze orders as part of an intensified government-wide campaign to recover alleged unlawfully acquired wealth, Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe said on Wednesday.

So far, Berberabe said the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), represented in court by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), has obtained seven freeze orders, with nine more applications pending.

“These involve bank accounts and real properties. The P6.3 billion already covered by freeze orders is what has been logged in our office so far,” she said, adding that the amount is expected to rise as agencies tighten coordination on asset recovery linked to corruption cases, including the ongoing investigations into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.

The SolGen said the Marcos administration is now relying heavily on laws that shift the burden of proof to public officials, requiring them to explain assets that appear disproportionate to their lawful income.

She said, “There is already a presumption that these are unlawfully acquired. The public officer must now explain—were these inherited, or legitimately acquired before joining the government?”

Berberabe said that even if properties are placed under the names of siblings or cousins, they will still have to justify their capacity to purchase such assets.

The lifestyle checks, land title verification, and reports from communities remain vital tools, given the increasingly sophisticated methods used to conceal property, since criminals are also very creative now in hiding assets, Berberabe said.

She also confirmed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) supports offering monetary rewards for whistleblowers who provide actionable information on hidden wealth.

“If the asset recovered is worth billions and the reward is 10 to 15 percent, the government will still gain significantly,” she said.

She added the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is developing its own “Balik Yaman” monitoring system to track funds that can be returned to the public. As agencies prepare for the filing of more cases, Berberabe said the OSG has already organized internal task forces—including a Task Force on Restitution—to handle the expanding workload.

She said the OSG is setting up centralized and focused efforts. Our divisions, with around 10 lawyers each, are fully engaged. There are daily meetings with the DPWH and ICID.

“Everyone knows results must be shown. The filing of cases is continuous.”

Even private establishments, such as exclusive clubs where suspicious purchases of golf shares or similar high-value assets are reported, may contribute information—subject to confidentiality rules, as anonymous tips and white papers can also aid investigators.

Berberabe is confident that more assets will be identified and recovered in the coming months.