Sandiganbayan lifts bench warrants vs two congressmen

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan lifted Friday bench warrants on Oriental Mindoro Reps. Rodolfo G. Valencia (1st district) and Alfonso V. Umali, Jr. (2nd district) after the two personally explained their absence on the promulgation of the graft case filed against them. Messrs. Valencia and Umali went to the sala of the anti-graft court’s Fourth Division Justice Gregory S. Ong to file their motion for the lifting of the warrant. The Sandiganbayan ruled the arrest warrants for the two lifted, since Mr. Valencia explained that he was sick during the day of the promulgation while Mr. Umali said he was out of the country. Both were ordered to pay P30,000 each for their temporary liberty. The lawmakers were involved in a P2.5-million fund diversion case as governor and provincial administrator, respectively, in 1994. They appealed their case with the Sandiganbayan on Tuesday along with co-accused provincial board members Pedrito A. Reyes, Jose C. Leynes and Jose A. Enriquez. — Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez, BusinessWorld