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Saturday, October 28, 2006
Makati mayor, wife may be arrested for graft: judge
MANILA -- An arrest warrant against Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay and his wife Elenita may be issued come Monday in connection with the "overpriced" partitions and furniture purchased by the City Government from 1999 to 2001.
Sandiganbayan Third Division Chairman Godofredo Legaspi said the cases filed against the Binay couple involving P232-million questionable purchases made by the local government under their terms was raffled off to his division.
But Legaspi was quick to clarify that the arrest warrant may also not be issued at all if the court finds no probable cause to the cases.
"We will look at the records. If there is probable cause, we would conduct a trial. If there is none, we would dismiss the case," said Legaspi.
Government prosecutors filed one graft case against the mayor while four graft cases were filed against his wife in connection with the questionable purchases of furniture. The prosecution panel has recommended bail of P30,000 for each count.
Binay was ordered suspended recently by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) over the issue of "ghost" employees as charged by his political opponents.
Tension gripped the Makati City Hall at the height of the suspension drama when it was reported that policemen would bodily carry Binay out of his office. The matter, however, was temporarily put to rest when the Court of Appeals (CA) issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the suspension.
Aside from the Binay couple, named as co-accused in the graft case now pending before the Sandiganbayan are former Makati City councilor Salvador Pangilinan, former city treasurer Luz Yamane, City Administrator Nicanor Santiago Jr., and General Services Department Chief Ernesto Aspillaga.
Also respondents in the case were private individuals, identified as Li Yee Shing, Jason Li and Vivian Edurise -- all corporate officers of the Office Gallery International, Inc. (OGII), and Beda and Bernadette Aquino -- of the Asia Concept International Inc. (ACII), and other John and Jane Does.
They were all charged with violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act (RA) 3019 or the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The cases were filed by former Makati City vice mayor Roberto Brilliante, who was also Binay's accuser in the "ghost" employee issue.
The COA said there was alleged irregularity in the process of the purchase when the City Government granted five purchase orders to OGII and ACII in the amount of P231,576,189.71. The Office of the Ombudsman said in its resolution that the transaction was overpriced by at least P54 million. (DBP/Sunnex)
(October 28, 2006 issue)
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