Former Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 112 allowed former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos to travel to Taiwan to buy bangus fry and feeds.
Abalos is scheduled to go to Taiwan from November 27 to November 30. The court, through Judge Jesus Mupas required Abalos to post a P200,000 travel bond.
With the lower court’s ruling, Abalos’ needs the permission one more court (Pasay City RTC 117) which is handling a separate election fraud case before he can go to Taiwan.
Both Pasay Branch 112 and the Sandiganbayan 4th Division already allowed Abalos to travel to Taiwan.
The anti-graft court required Abalos to pay P90,000 travel bond, a copy of his itinerary and he is required to appear before the anti-graft court within five days upon his arrival to submit including photo copy of his stamped passport.
The Pasay City Regional Trial Court branch 117 has earlier denied his request to travel but a motion for reconsideration has been filed in court. The case is already submitted for resolution.
In his motion, Abalos said “recent developments in aquaculture industry, particularly the steady decline in the demand for shrimps coupled with the increasing complexity of prescribed shrimp culture practices and technology, has constrained the accused to shift the focus of his business from shrimp culture to the raising of bangus, if only to assure its continued viability. Considering, however, the scarcity of bangus fry in the country, the accused is compelled to urgently source bangus fry in Taiwan.”