Sandigan to arraign Perez, wife on May 21- report

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan Third Division set the arraignment of former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez and his wife Rosario on the charges of falsification of public documents on May 21, radio dzBB reported Friday. The radio report said Presiding Justice Francis Villaruz is handling the case. The falsification case stemmed from Perez's alleged nondisclosure in his 2001 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) the amount of $1.7 million deposited in his and his wife's bank accounts. Earlier, the Sandiganbayan First Division scheduled on May 16 the arraignment of Perez and his three co-accused for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act while the anti-graft court's Second Division reset the arraignment for robbery/extortion charges on May 23. This was after the court decided to postpone the arraignment after the defense argued that the Supreme Court has yet to resolve a petition filed by Perez's camp, which moved questioned facts of the case as well as Sandiganbayan's jurisdiction on the case. The robbery/extortion cases stemmed from a complaint filed by former Manila Representative Mark 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. Aside from robbery/extortion, graft charges, and falsification of public documents charges, Perez is also facing another graft case before the Fourth Division. The Fourth Division is yet to schedule an arraignment for Perez. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV