[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’JERRY SUSPENDED Sandigan: 90 days without Treñas ‘mandatory’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO and PRINCE GOLEZ
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
MANILA – The Sandiganbayan suspended Rep. Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City for 90 days as the graft charge filed against him in connection with the construction of the Iloilo Press Club (IPC) building undergoes litigation.
That Treñas was charged with violation of Republic Act (RA) 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, made his preventive suspension “mandatory,” a resolution from the anti-graft court’s Seventh Division stated.
The congressman was accused of giving “unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference” for releasing P500,000 for the construction of the IPC building when he was still the mayor of Iloilo City.
The Sandiganbayan directed House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to enforce the suspension.
It also tasked Alvarez to report to the anti-graft court when the congressman starts serving his suspension and when the suspension ends.
“It is part of the judicial process, which has to be respected,” Treñas told Panay News when reached for comment on the Sandiganbayan resolution.
“I am coordinating with the House of Representatives for its implementation,” he added. “I know that, in the end, I will clear myself of these charges.”
According to the case information, Treñas signed a memorandum of agreement with the IPC for the construction of the latter’s building in Barangay San Pedro, Molo, Iloilo City.
His act of coursing the money to the IPC from December 2003 to January 2004 allegedly violated Commission on Audit (COA) rules since the IPC was not one of the nongovernment organizations accredited by the city government.
The fund was sourced from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of Sen. Loren Legarda.
Treñas was arraigned and pleaded “not guilty,” the Sandiganbayan resolution stated.
According to the Sandiganbayan, the prosecution’s motion seeking Treñas’ preventive suspension should be granted. “It is not for this court to decide otherwise.”
“Section 13 of RA 3019 makes it mandatory for this court to suspend any public officer against whom a valid information is filed charging a violation of said law … or for any offense involving fraud upon government or public funds or property,” read part of the resolution.
“Once the information is found to be sufficient in form and substance, the court must issue the order of suspension as a matter of course. There are no ifs and buts about it,” the Sandiganbayan said.
Moreover, Treñas may still be preventively suspended even if the crime he was accused of committing happened when he was holding a different public office.
“Notwithstanding that [Treñas] now holds a different public office from the time of the commission of the crime, the suspension against the accused will still be implemented,” said the anti-graft court.
“The preventive suspension is mandatory in character pending a criminal prosecution to prevent the accused from intimidating or influencing witnesses against him,” the resolution read.
In November 2017, Treñas’ legal counsel denied irregularity in the release of the funds for the construction of the IPC building.
JJ Justiniano stressed the congressman was not remiss in releasing the fund to the IPC.
“The PDAF of a congressman or senator may be coursed through the local government. There was nothing wrong with that,” the lawyer said, adding that Treñas did not violate any COA policy. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”
The bail bond for Treñas had been set at P30,000.
Justiniano said they will post bail once the Sandiganbayan issues a warrant of arrest against the congressman./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
