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Arroyo pardons convicted Pampanga barangay captain


MANILA, Philippines - A Pampanga barangay chairman convicted of putting up a public mini-park on private property did not spend time in jail after receiving a presidential pardon upon arrival at the National Bilibid Prisons. He was supposed to serve six to ten years in prison. The freed man was identified as Edgar B. Flores, chairman of Brgy. Batasan in Macabebe, Pampanga. He received a presidential pardon upon arrival at the National Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City last Wednesday. The conviction was based on a complaint filed by Rufina M. Cabiling who alleged that Flores authorized the destruction of three bamboo clumps within her parents’ property with the use of bulldozers to make way for a public mini-park. Flores - whose brother, Macabebe municipal Mayor Leonardo B. Flores, was exonerated in the same case for lack of evidence - was convicted by the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division of graft on April 2, 2008. Flores had filed an appeal but the court upheld the guilty verdict on August 12. The barangay captain did not contest the ruling before the Supreme Court and the Sandiganbayan issued a commitment order on September 17, 2008. In that order, the court directed court sheriffs to turn over custody of Flores to the Bureau of Corrections so he can start serving his prison term at the NBP. “It turned out, taking him to Bilibid was only a formality because when we got there, BuCor officials told us his pardon was already on the way. He will not even serve a day of his sentence," a court officer said. On September 2007, Mrs Arroyo also pardoned deposed President Joseph Estrada who was convicted of plunder and sentenced to life imprisonment. On April 2007, Jaime Ponce de Leon - who was to serve a 203-year sentence for 27 counts of graft in connection with alleged ghost road construction projects in Negros Oriental - was also given a presidential pardon. - GMANews.TV
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