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Sandiganbayan issues hold departure order vs. Jinggoy, 13 others


(Updated 5:08 p.m.) The Sandiganbayan on Monday issued a hold departure order against Senator Jinggoy Estrada and his thirteen co-accused in the pork barrel scam.
 
The order, released by the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division, prohibits Estrada from leaving the country while the case is being tried. 
 
Estrada, together with Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. are accused of plunder and graft in connection with the massive Priority Development Assistance Fund fraud. 

"This court, in the exercise of its inherent power to use all means necessary to carry its orders into effect, more specifically to preserve and maintain the effectiveness of its jurisdiction over the case and the persons of the accused so as to render accused at all times ammenable to its writ of processes hereby order the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration to hold the departure from the Philippines of the following," the order said.

Reached for his comments, Estrada said he is not concerned with the hold departure order issued against him.
 
"Okay lang iyon. I do not have any plans to leave the country anyway," he said.
 
Aside from Estrada, others on the list include: Estrada's former staff Pauline Labayen, trader and alleged pork scam brains Janet Lim Napoles and Napoles employee John Reymund de Asis.
 
The anti-graft court’s Fifth Division also issued hold departure orders on Estrada’s co-accused in his multiple graft cases, including the following:
 
  • Undersecretary Mario Relampagos of the Department of Budget Management 
  • Rosario Nunez of the Department of Budget Management 
  • Lalaine Paule of the Department of Budget Management 
  • Marilou Bare of the Department of Budget Management 
  • Allan Javellana, President (National Agribusiness Corporation)
  • Rhodora Mendoza, former director for financial management services/ former vice-president for administration and finance (National Agribusiness Corporation)
  • Maria Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, former chief accountant (National Agribusiness Corporation)
  • Victor Roman Cacal, Paralegal (National Agribusiness Corporation)
  • Maria Ninez Guanizo, Bookkeeper/OIC-Accounting Division (National Agribusiness Corporation)
  • Romulo Relevo, General Services Unit Head (National Agribusiness Corporation)
 
The Fifth Division is handling the consolidated graft and plunder cases of Sen. Estrada and his co-accused. The Fifth Division is chaired by Associate Justice Roland Jurado, with Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo as member. The 5th Division has a vacant seat.
 
On the other hand, Revilla's case went to the 1st Division headed by Associate Justice Efren dela Cruz, with Associate Justices Rodolfo Ponferrada and Rafael Lagos as members. Enrile's case will be handled by the Third Division chaired by Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje Tang.
 
Meanwhile, Justice Gregory Ong, chairman of the 4th Division, has inhibited himself from the cases.
                                                        
Ong said he will inhibit from the pork barrel scam case, after whistleblower Marina Sula said he used to visit Napoles at her office at the Discovery Center in Ortigas Center, Pasig City. — Patricia Denise Chiu with Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News

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