Wednesday, April 30, 2008 New arrest order issued v. Perez
AS FORMER justice secretary Hernando Perez posted bail before a Batangas court last Tuesday in connection with his graft case filed with the Sandiganbayan, another division of the anti-graft court ordered his arrest over a case for falsification of public documents.
The Sandiganbayan's Sheriff and Security Services Office said it received information that Perez and his wife Rosario posted bail at P30,000 each before Batangas Regional Trial Court (RTC) Executive Judge Ruben Galvez.
Both the graft and falsification charges stemmed from allegations that Perez extorted US$2 million from former Manila congressman Mark Jimenez in 2001.
The warrant for the graft case was issued last Monday by the Sandiganbayan First Division, chaired by Presiding Justice Diosdado Peralta, while the second warrant of arrest against Perez was issued by the Sandiganbayan Third Division, chaired by Associate Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr.
The graft case accuses Perez, his wife, brother-in-law Ramon Arceo Jr. and business associate Ernest Escaler of receiving US$2 million from Jimenez, also known as Mario Crespo.
The money, according to the Office of the Ombudsman, was "in consideration of accused (Perez's) desisting from pressuring Jimenez to execute affidavits implicating target personalities involved in the plunder case against former President Joseph Estrada and in connection with the pending application of (Jimenez) for admission into the Witness Protection Program of the government."
As regards the falsification case against Perez, the ombudsman noted his failure to disclose in his statement of assets, liabilities and net (SALN) worth for year ending December 31, 2001 the contents of his wife's account in EFG Private Bank AG in Geneva, Switzerland.
The account of Mrs. Perez allegedly contained the proceeds of the money extorted from Jimenez, the ombudsman added.
Last Tuesday morning, Sandiganbayan sheriffs failed to serve the warrant of arrest issued by the First Division against the Perez couple at their Quezon City residence.
The last known address of the Perez couple was at No. 30 Bonifacio Street, Old Balara, Quezon City.
In issuing the arrest orders, the two anti-graft court divisions held that "sufficient grounds exist for the finding of probable cause" against the Perez couple and Arceo.
The First Division, however, recalled the arrest order against Arceo after the accused posted the recommended bail of P30,000 on Monday. Escaler, on the other hand, posted bail as early as last week.
The arrest orders came even as the Perez couple sought for the deferment of its issuance considering that they just filed a second supplemental petition before the Supreme Court (SC) impleading the Sandiganbayan as among the respondents in the case for temporary restraining order (TRO) originally against the ombudsman alone.
In fact, the high court ordered the Sandiganbayan to comment on their petition the same day the order for their arrest was issued.
Besides the graft and falsification charges pending before the First and Third Divisions, a robbery case and another graft charge were also filed against Perez and his co-accused.
The robbery case was raffled off to the anti-graft court's Second Division, chaired by Associate Justice Edilberto Sandoval. The second graft case is with the Fourth Division, chaired by Associate Justice Gregory Ong. (Sunnex)
