Sandiganbayan allows Ruffy Biazon to go on European holiday

The Sandiganbayan on Friday allowed Muntinlupa City Representative Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon to go on a three-country European tour with his family to celebrate the Holidays.

Biazon is on trial for an alleged misuse of his priority development assistance fund allocation in 2007. He is facing one count each of graft, malversation of public funds and direct bribery.

He posted a P90,000 bail in June.

The anti-graft court's Seventh Division approved the motion in open court on Friday morning after it received the motion for permission to travel abroad of Biazon on November 29.

In the motion, Biazon said he would like to "take advantage of the holiday season to have some private family time with his wife and children" with a trip to Italy, Switzerland, and France from December 20, 2017 to January 6, 2018 via Emirates Airline.

He also attached copies of approval letters from House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano for the trip.

The prosecution had opposed the motion saying Biazon's family trip is neither urgent nor compelling enough the justify its approval from the Sandiganbayan.

The prosecution also cautioned the court that Biazon may no longer return to the Philippines and escape his case given his financial capacity.

Biazon served as commissioner of the Bureau of Customs in 2011, but resigned in December 2013 at the height of the pork barrel scam controversy.

He was elected again as Muntinlupa representative on May 9, 2016 elections.

Based on the information of the cases filed by the Ombudsman, Biazon allocated P3 million of his PDAF to the Napoles-linked Philippine Social Development Foundation, Inc. in exchange of P1.950 million worth of kickbacks.

Biazon had since denied the charges.

Co-accused in the case are Department of Budget and Management former undersecretary Mario Relampagos, former budget and management specialist Rosario Nuñez, former administrative assistants Marilou Bare and Lalaine Paule, and alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles. —NB, GMA News