JV Ejercito: Revival of case over arms purchase rivals’ handiwork
Sen. JV Ejercito believes that the revival of the case against him over the allegedly anomalous purchase of high-powered firearms in 2008 when he was mayor of San Juan City may be the handiwork of his political rivals.
“Well, talagang politically motivated ito. Palagay ko yung nagtutulak dun siguro mga kalaban namin sa pulitika,” Ejercito told reporters on Tuesday.
His mother, San Juan City Mayor Guia Gomez, is seeking reelection in 2016 against erstwhile ally, Vice Mayor Francis Zamora.
READ: JV Ejercito: I should have listened to Jinggoy
“Hindi ko lang alam. I might be wrong. Pero wala namang ibang magtutulak e kasi ang tagal na nito and the COA cleared us already and the whole Sangguniang Bayan,” Ejercito said.
The senator was reacting to the Office of the Ombudsman’s findings that there was probable cause to charge him for violating Section 3 (e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Technical Malversation for allegedly using the San Juan City local government’s calamity fund to purchase firearms.
READ: Ombudsman finds probable cause to charge JV Ejercito with graft, malversation
Ejercito said he was surprised that the case filed by an anonymous complainant had prospered when he was very careful not to commit any irregularities during the time of then president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
He admitted that the city used the calamity fund to buy more than 20 firearms worth P2.1 million. However, when the Commission on Audit (COA) ruled that the purchase could not be charged to the said fund, the payment was requested from the city council.
By end of 2008, Ejercito said, the calamity fund was intact.
“So ano ang malversation dun? There’s nothing to malverse kasi nga intact yung calamity fund e di ba?” he pointed out.
“And there’s no notice of disallowance up to this very date from the COA kasi kung may irregularity at kung may pondo kami na hindi dapat ginamit , dapat may notice of disallowance but there was no notice of disallowance kasi nga hindi ginamit,” he further said. RC
