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Thursday, May 01, 2008
Arraignment of Perez, 3 others for extortion set
MANILA -- Former justice secretary Hernando Perez and three others will be arraigned next week for a robbery-extortion case.
The Sandiganbayan Second Division, chaired by Senior Associate Justice Edilberto Sandoval, set the arraignment of Perez, his wife Rosario, brother-in-law Ramon Arceo and business associate Ernest Escaler on May 5 at 1:30 p.m.
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It would serve as Perez's first public appearance since the Office of the Ombudsman filed four criminal charges against him last April 18.
Aside from robbery, Perez is also facing two counts of graft and one count of falsification of public documents.
The cases stemmed from a complaint filed by businessman and former Manila Representative Mark Jimenez that Perez extorted US$2 million from him after he refused to execute affidavits implicating associates of former President Joseph Estrada in the former leader's plunder case.
Related Stories:
Ombud maintains extortion raps v. ex-justice chief
Ombud files graft raps vs Perez, 3 others
Perez, wife seek suspension of extortion trial
Sandigan orders arrest of Perez, 2 others
New arrest order issued v. Perez
In an order, the Second Division directed the Perez couple, Arceo and Escaler to "appear personally" before the court during their scheduled arraignment.
The Second Division set the arraignment of the accused a day after Perez and his wife posted bail before the Batangas City Regional Trial Court in connection with the cases.
In the robbery case, the ombudsman alleged that the four accused "intimated" and "threatened" Jimenez of "having him arrested and incarcerated in a city jail where he will die of boils with hardened criminals and drug addicts" after he refused to execute affidavits against Estrada's suspected cronies and should he refuse to give money to them.
The Perez couple meantime reiterated their appeal to various divisions of the Sandiganbayan to defer the proceedings in their cases pending resolution of their petition for certiorari that they filed with the Supreme Court (SC).
The Perez couple also informed the anti-graft court that they have filed a second supplemental petition before the high court impleading the Sandiganbayan in their case questioning the Ombudsman's ruling. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (May 1, 2008 issue)
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