No Palace hand in warrant suspension

MALACAÑANG did not have a hand in the Sandiganbayan’s last-minute suspension of arrest warrants against members of the Martinez family, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III said.

The governor said the anti-graft court must have found “valid justification” that prompted the justices to suspend the warrant.

“Well, the warrant was suspended so it won’t be served so maybe they found valid justification for that,” he told reporters yesterday.

Davide and members of the Martinez family are members of the administration-backed Liberal Party (LP).

He said President Aquino would not use his power to influence the judiciary to favor the Martinezes in the case involving the alleged malversation of P11.5 million in government funds donated to the Girl Scouts of the Philippines.

“Knowing the president, I don’t think so. Our president wants the rule of law to prevail,” Davide said.

“That is his position even on situations involving his allies or partymates. He will not choose anyone to favor.”

The lawyer of former 4th district Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez, Inocencio Dela Cerna, yesterday furnished the police and the National Bureau of Investigation, a copy of the Sandiganbayan order suspending the implementation of the arrest warrants earlier issued against Clavel and six other individuals who were impleaded in the GSP fund scam. Dela Cerna yesterday went to the NBI regional office and the headquarters of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and the Cebu Provincial Police Office to formally relay to them the anti-graft court’s resolution.

“With the issuance of the suspension of the enforcement of the warrants of arrest, it is imperative to immediately furnish copies thereof to the concerned police agencies and the NBI,” Dela Cerna said in an interview. “This is to prevent any further harassment against all the accused. It is a known fact that political persons of interest are closely monitoring and following up this case,” he added. /Peter L. Romanillos and Ador Vincent S. Mayol