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By Jomar Canlas, Reporter
The Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday opposed
before the Sandiganbayan a plea of former Justice Secretary Hernando
“Nani” Perez to suspend proceedings on criminal charges against
him.
The court was asked to dismiss the motion of
Perez for lack of merit.
The opposition was submitted by the Office of
the Ombudsman during a hearing at the Sandiganbayan Third Division
handling the falsification of public documents case against Perez.
The former Justice secretary was given five days to reply to the
opposition.
The Office of the Ombudsman argued that the
motion of Perez to suspend the proceedings would be of no moment
since the Supreme Court has not yet issued a temporary restraining
order.
It pointed out that Perez’s petition for
certiorari before the High Tribunal alleges “matters of defense
which will be more properly dealt with if this principal case will
proceed.”
“Wherefore, it is most respectfully prayed
that the subject manifestation and urgent motion to suspend
proceedings be denied, unless within 10 days from April 18, 2008,
the Supreme Court would issue a temporary restraining order or writ
of preliminary injunction restraining this Honorable Court [Sandiganbayan]
from proceeding with this case,” according to the pleading.
The Office of the Ombudsman argued that the
allegations of Perez that there would be a possibility of
conflicting decisions to be rendered by the High Court and the
Sandiganbayan is “speculative.”
The Second Division of the Sandiganbayan
handling another case—robbery-extortion—against the former
Justice chief gave the prosecution 10 days to file its comment or
opposition as to another motion to suspend proceedings filed by
Perez. Another five days was given to the Perez camp to reply to the
said comment-opposition and then it shall be submitted for decision.
Today, the Sandiganbayan First and Fourth
divisions are expected to hear similar motions filed by Perez. Both
divisions are handling the graft cases filed by the Office of the
Ombudsman against Perez.
Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez had ordered the
filing of criminal charges before the Sandiganbayan against her
former boss (Perez), his wife, and two others in connection with the
$2 million that Perez had allegedly extorted from former Manila Rep.
Mark Jimenez.
The money was also alleged to be a bribe for
Perez, who had allegedly threatened Jimenez with life in jail if the
former lawmaker would refuse to come across.
The $2 million allegedly was part of the total
of $14 million in payoff from a power deal with an Argentine firm.
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