Businessman in CA bribery try asks SC to reconsider decision

MANILA, Philippines - Businessman Francis Roa de Borja has asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision finding him liable for allegedly attempting to corrupt a Court of Appeals justice. In his motion for reconsideration filed Monday, De Borja said the SC has violated his right to be presumed innocent since no prosecutor would dare contradict the findings of the high court. He was referring to the September 9 decision of a three-man panel created by the SC to probe the supposed irregularities surrounding ownership case of the Lopez-owned Manila Electric Co. (Meralco). The decision ruled that De Borja, an alleged emissary of Meralco, should be investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) following the accusation of CA Associate Justice Jose Sabio Jr that he had offered him P10 million in exchange for his inhibition from the Meralco case. De Borja, in his motion, pointed out that the panel investigation was not a preliminary investigation to determine the criminal liability of the person or persons appearing before it. “It was a mere fact-finding inquiry to aid the SC in its administrative supervision of lower courts,” he said through lawyer Emmanuel Neria. De Borja also noted that the SC panel spent only five days to examine and analyze the voluminous records to reach the conclusion that he might be criminally liable for his alleged attempt to bribe a CA magistrate. He said that the tribunal made an error when it found Sabio’s version of the alleged bribe attempt more believable, pointing out that the magistrate even admitted that he had been influenced by his brother, PCGG chairman Camilo Sabio, a GSIS emissary. The Cagayan de Oro-based real estate broker further claimed that although he initiated the contact between him and Sabio, the latter willingly agreed to meet with him to talk about the Meralco-GSIS case pending before him. De Borja further said Sabio made no qualms about receiving P300,000 from him in an illicit real estate transaction which occurred at the time Sabio was still a regional trial court judge, and that they continued communicating about the case even after their first meeting when the alleged bribe offer was made. “The telephone call from his brother, the blandishments of money and a promotion to the SC, fit logically with Justice Sabio’s attempt to feel out how De Borja would react to his asking price of P50-million to resist the pressures and blandishments of GSIS. Justice Sabio was merely weighing his options, which makes de Borja’s version more credible,” the motion further stated. Sabio’s actions, de Borja claimed, warrant his dismissal from service and criminal prosecution against him and his brother. The SC panel had only slapped Sabio with a two-month suspension without pay. - GMANews.TV