Court resets ex-Palawan gov’s arraignment

The Sandiganbayan postponed to Sept. 5 the arraignment of former Palawan Gov. Mario Joel Reyes over the P1.53-billion Malampaya fund scam pending his appeal for a judicial review.

The antigraft court’s Second Division postponed the arraignment because Reyes and some of his coaccused have pending appeals to junk their cases.

But the Ombudsman’s special prosecutor opposed Reyes’ motion because he supposedly did not raise new arguments against an earlier judicial affirmation of probable cause.

The Ombudsman also opposed similar petitions from private contractors Abelardo Salazar, Armando Lustre Jr., Prospero Gabayan Jr., Lorenzo Leoncio and Ulysses Consebido.

The cases were filed over supposed anomalies in 209 contracts and projects, funded by the royalties from the Malampaya gas field, that were awarded to 11 contractors. —VINCE F. NONATO