Sandiganbayan OKs Junjun Binay’s request to fly to US

The Sandiganbayan has granted the request of former Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Binay to leave the country on Sunday to bring his daughter to a medical specialist in the United States.

The court, however, ordered Binay to post a travel bond of P608,000 to guarantee his faithful compliance with the terms and conditions imposed on his travel.

In a motion submitted to the Sandiganbayan Third Division last week, Binay asked the anti-graft court to allow him to travel to the US from August 14 to 26 with his six-year-old daughter for an “urgent medical consultation.”

The former mayor, through his counsels, said his daughter’s pediatrician recommended that they see allergologist and immunologist Dr. Ricardo Tan in California for a second opinion regarding her “very uncommon disease:” staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome.

The check-up of Binay's daughter with Tan is scheduled on August 19 and 20.

Binay is facing graft, malversation and falsification of public documents charges in over the alleged overpriced construction of the Makati City Hall Building II, also referred to as the Makati parking building.

The Sandiganbayan said Binay, aside from posting a travel bond, should should leave the Philippines not earlier than August 15 and be back not later than August 24.

His itinerary of travel shall likewise be limited to Los Angeles, California.

Five days after his expected arrival in the Philippines, the Sandiganbayan said Binay should present himself personally before the Third Division’s clerk of court and bring his passport and photocopies of relevant pages indicating the stamps of his departure from and entry into the Philippines.

He must also show proof that his daughter underwent a medical check-up.

If, for whatever reason, Binay doesn’t push through with the trip, he should still personally present himself before the division clerk of court with his passport, which must not bear an stamp of departure or entry into the Philippines.

Should the former mayor fail or refuse to return to the Philippines as promised, the Sandiganbayan said notice of subsequent proceedings shall be made through his counsel of record, or in the event that the latter shall withdraw its appearance with the approval of the Court, to the former mayor's given address on record.

Binay is required to file his written formal compliance with all his undertakings not later than five days from his expected date of return to the Philippines. — RSJ/VVP, GMA News