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By Jomar Canlas Reporter
FORMER Justice Secretary Hernando
Perez will be arraigned for a new case, this time for falsification
of public documents.
The 3rd Division of the
Sandiganbayan has set the arraignment of Perez on May 21 under
Justices Francisco Villaruz, chairman of the 3rd Division.
Two other cases against Perez are
scheduled to be heard. The first, scheduled on May 16, concerns
graft and will be handled by the Sandiganbayan 1st Division. The
second case concerns robbery extortion, and will be heard on May 23
by the Sandiganbayan 2nd Division.
The other graft case is now
pending with the 4th Division chaired by Justice Gregory Ong, but no
action has yet been adopted concerning Perez as of presstime.
Singly, Perez was charged with
Falsification of Public Documents (Art. 171 of the RPC) for
non-disclosure in his 2001 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and
Networth (SALN) of the amount of $1.7 million deposited in his and
his wife’s bank accounts.
The Ombudsman held that Perez
acted in conspiracy with brother-in-law Ramon Arceo, business
associate Ernest Escaler and wife Rosario in taking advantage of his
position as then Justice Secretary by demanding former Manila Rep.
Mark Jimenez to deliver the amount of $2 million in connection with
the execution of affidavits to be used against the cronies of former
President Joseph Estrada.
Perez said he was hopeful that he
could get the much awaited temporary restraining order from the
Supreme Court (SC) to stop his arraignment. However, he learned from
The Manila Times that his case is pending with the 3rd Division of
the SC. The division is in recess.
He said that if he cannot enjoin
the Sandiganbayan during the next meeting, he would probably be
arraigned along with wife Rosario, Arceo and Escaler.
The Manila Times learned that
Perez’s chances of getting the TRO to stop the Sandiganbayan is
slim because the SC’s 3rd Division is now in recess, and the lady
Justice handling Perez’s case is now on leave. The 3rd Division is
expected to resume its session in June yet.
An SC source said that while no
session was set by the SC’s 3rd Division, it will depend on the
justices, particularly Division Chairperson Justice Consuelo Yñares-Santiago,
to determine if there is need to re-deliberate on the Perez case.
Normally, special hearings shall
be done only in cases of urgency and extreme exigencies.
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