Ex-Marine commandant surrenders, posts bail for P36-M graft case  

After more than three months of hiding, former Philippine Marine commandant, dismissed Major General Renato Miranda on Friday surrendered before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan to post bail for the graft and malversation charges filed against him for allegedly pocketing P36 million in clothing allowance intended for the soldiers.

Accompanied by his lawyer, Miranda went to the Sandiganbayan Third Division and underwent booking procedure.

According to the Sandiganbayan Cashier’s Office, Miranda posted a P230,000 cash bond in exchange for his provisional liberty from one count of violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and another count of the complex crime of malversation through falsification of public documents as defined under Articles 217 and 171 of the Revised Penal Code.

Miranda posted P30,000 for the graft case and P200,000 for the malversation case.

The general immediately left the antigraft court and refused to answer questions from the media.

Cases against Miranda and four other former Marines officials stemmed from the alleged pocketing of the Combat, Clothing Allowance and Individual Equipment Allowance (CCIE) for year 1999 amounting to P36.768 million.

Based on the information of the cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman on March 10, 2015, Miranda and his co-accused falsified several public documents such as liquidation payrolls “by making it appear that the soldiers actually received their CCIE, when in truth and in fact, they have not.”

It was on January 22 of this year when the Third Division issued an arrest warrant against Miranda and his co-accused after the court found probable cause to proceed with the trial.

Miranda and the other respondents remained at large as the malversation through falsification of public documents used to be a non-bailable offense.

However, in a recent ruling of the Supreme Court (Valdez vs Sandiganbayan), the high tribunal ruled that the complex crime of malversation through falsification of public documents must now be considered a bailable offense without undergoing bail petition proceedings.

Following the finality of the SC ruling, the Ombudsman just on Monday last week, April 18, filed an amended case information before the Third Division recommended P200,000 bail bond for Miranda and his co-accused’s malversation through falsification of public documents case.

Aside from posting bail, Miranda also filed a waiver of appearance before the Third Division, saying that unless required by the court, he will not be attending the trial proper of the case but will just be represented by his counsel.

Miranda, however, did not cite any reason for waiving his right to be present during trial.

The Third Division set the arraignment for both cases on June 7 at 1:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, Miranda’s co-accused, former assistant chief of staff for personnel Maj. Adelo Jandayan, and former disbursement officer Capt. Felicisimo Millado. likewise posted P230,000 bail bond each on Friday.

Two other respondents, former Marine adjutant Lt. Col. Jeson Cabatbat and former supply officer Capt. Edmundo Yurong remain at large.

Miranda was ordered dismissed from the military service in 2006 after getting involved in a coup plot against then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. — APG, GMA News