Sandigan moves to arrest ex-DOJ chief, 2 co-accused

(Updated 11:05 a.m.) MANILA, Philippines - Authorities on Tuesday morning started serving the warrant of arrest against former Justice Sec. Hernando Perez and two others over the $2-million extortion case they are facing before the Sandiganbayan. GMA's Flash Report said a Sandiganbayan arresting team went to the Quezon Police District headquarters in Camp Karingal to ask for assistance in serving the arrest warrant against Perez, his wife Rosario and brother-in-law Ramon Arceo. The arresting team was expected to then proceed to Perez' residence along Bonifacio St., Old Balara, Quezon City, and then to Arceo's house in Dao St., Valle Verde subdivision in Pasig City. Another co-accused in the case, Ernest Escaler, was not included in the arrest warrant as he had posted bail at the Sandiganbayan First Division last week. The anti-graft court recommended a P30,000 bail each for the accused and sought a hold departure order against them. A separate radio report, however, said the arresting team failed to serve the warrants against Perez and his wife. Radio dzBB reported that Sandiganbayan court sheriff Reynaldo Melquiades who led the arresting team went to Perez' residence in Quezon City but found only the family's household help in the house. The report said the helpers told Melquiades that Perez was out of the house. With Melquiades was Insp. Roberto Razon, head of the Quezon City Police District - Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU). The arrest warrants were issued after the petition to stop the Sandiganbayan proceedings filed by Perez and his wife was rejected by the Supreme Court, which instead gave the Ombudsman 10 days to answer the petition filed by Perez. Last April 18, the Ombudsman filed four criminal charges against Perez and his co-accused for robbery/extortion, while Perez faces more charges of graft and falsification of public documents. Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez said Perez and his co-accused "took advantage of his position as the then DOJ Secretary by demanding Jimenez to deliver the amount of US$2M in connection with the execution of affidavits to be used in the case against the former President Estrada." The robbery/extortion cases stemmed from a complaint filed by Jimenez that Perez and the other defendants extorted $2 million from him after he refused to execute affidavits implicating associates of former President Joseph Estrada in the latter’s plunder case. While the charges of Falsification of Public Documents against Perez stemmed from his non-disclosure in his 2001 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN) of the amount of US$1.7 million deposited in his and his wife's bank accounts. - GMANews.TV