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THE Sandiganbayan First Division on Tuesday has allowed the
co-accused of former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez to go abroad
but subjected businessman Ernest Escaler to a conditional
arraignment.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Escaler was allowed
by the Anti-Graft Court to travel to Europe for a period of 30 days,
specifically from May 21 to June 21.
Escaler entered a not guilty plea when asked by
the court on the charge of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt
Practices Act. The First Division is chaired by Presiding Justice
Diosdado Peralta.
A conditional arraignment was made to ensure the
jurisdiction of the court over the defendant.
In the meantime, the Sandiganbayan is set to
hear on Friday the motion of Perez and Escaler to suspend the
proceedings of their graft case. Aside from the two, Perez’s
spouse Rosario and his brother-in-law Ramon Arceo, are seeking the
suspension of their arraignment since there is a pending case before
the Supreme Court, where the accused alleged grave abuse of
discretion, amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction in filing
the charges against them.
The Sandiganbayan First Division has set the
arraignment against all of the accused on May 16. Escaler was the
first accused to be arraigned since he intends to go abroad for a
business trip.
Perez fears that he will be arraigned in the
next hearing by the Sandiganbayan if he fails to get a temporary
restraining order from the Supreme Court. His petition for
certiorari is now pending with the Third Division of the High Court
which is now in recess.
Ombudsman Maria Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez
ordered the filing of criminal charges against the accused in
connection with the $2-million extortion charge filed by former Rep.
Mark Jimenez of Manila in relation to a controversial power deal.
-- Jomar Canlas
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