Sacked Lung Center chief seeks reduced bail

MANILA, Philippines - A former official of the Lung Center of the Philippines who was sacked for falsification charges has asked the Sandiganbayan to reduce his bail bond from P30,000 to P10,000. In his three-page motion, former LCP executive director Fernando Melendres said his current financial status is making it difficult for him to pay the bail amount set for him by the anti-graft court. He also said he is having difficulty complying with the requirements of a bonding company that could otherwise issue a surety bond in his behalf. “With the compassion and understanding of the Honorable Court, I am pleading that the recommended bail of P30,000 be reduced to P10,000 only to enable me to put up the required cash bond for my provisional liberty,” the defendant said. Melendres’ case stemmed from an allegation that he made unlawful alterations on the purchase order for a tarpaulin banner bearing the face of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. This led to his dismissal from government service in 2003. Graft investigators said the phrase “exclusive distributor” on the face of the purchase order was covered with liquid paper over which the accused intercalated the word “canvass,” allegedly to make it appear that there was a canvass for procurement. Aside from the falsification charge, Melendres was also indicted for graft on a P200 personal phone bill that government auditors found he had declared as “official calls.” Prosecutors said Ombudsman investigators traced the phone call to an alleged mistress of the accused with whom he had a child. - GMANews.TV