Friday, May 16, 2008 Another Sandigan division allows Escaler to travel
BUSINESSMAN Ernest Escaler’s trip to Europe is now certain after another division of the Sandiganbayan where he has a pending robbery case approved his travel bid.
The anti-graft court’s Second Division hearing the robbery case filed against Escaler, the principal accused former justice secretary Hernando Perez and two others, allowed the trader to travel to Europe from May 21 to June 21, 2008.
The Second Division, chaired by Senior Associate Justice Edilberto Sandoval, required Escaler to post a travel bond worth P100,000, which is the same amount as the bail bond he posted earlier.
Earlier this week, the First Division where their graft case is pending also allowed Escaler to attend to his business dealings in France, Austria, Italy and the United Kingdom during the same period.
Just like what the First Division did last Tuesday, the Second Division also arraigned Escaler for the robbery charge in which he pleaded not guilty to.
Escaler’s arraignment was a precondition to allowing him to travel abroad so his trial can proceed even in his absence.
The graft and robbery cases stemmed from allegations that Escaler and Perez, along with the former justice chief’s wife, Rosario, and brother-in-law Ramon Arceo, extorted US$2 million from former Manila congressman Mark Jimenez in 2001. (Sunnex)
