Gov’t bucks ex-officials’ travel pleas

MANILA, Philippines—State prosecutors have opposed separate travel requests made by former justice secretaries Agnes Devanadera and Hernando Perez, both of whom are facing graft charges in the Sandiganbayan.

Prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman urged the antigraft court to deny the motions of the two for permission to travel abroad, saying that they failed to prove the urgency of their requests.

Devanadera, a lawyer, asked the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division to allow her to travel to Bali, Indonesia, from Oct. 14 to 20 so she could assist her client, Obra Maestra Wellness and Lifestyle Centre Inc., in contract negotiations and other business transactions there.

The prosecutors countered that Devanadera failed to show that the transactions could not be undertaken by any other person and her non-appearance in Indonesia would cause her or her client irreparable damage or prejudice.

The prosecutors also warned that the nature of the charges and her possible conviction “might motivate her not to return if she were authorized to leave the country.”

Devanadera is facing four counts of graft and four counts of malversation of public funds stemming from the grant of allowances to herself and her staff in 2007 during her term as head of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel.

Earlier, state prosecutors also opposed a similar petition by Perez to be allowed to travel to Thailand to purchase orchids for his company from Nov. 2 to Dec. 15.

The prosecution said Perez likewise failed to cite an urgent reason to be allowed to leave, and did not show an actual order for orchids to be met.

Prosecutors argued that the trip would last more than one month—which was too long—and Perez did not state where he would be staying in Bangkok.  Besides, Perez could easily assign another official or employee of his company to take care of the business in Bangkok, they said.

Perez is facing a graft case in the Sandiganbayan in connection with his alleged failure to disclose a $1.7-million foreign bank deposit in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth for 2001.

The court will take the prosecution’s arguments into consideration when it decides whether or not to give the two former justice officials permission to travel.

In the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division, former Bukidnon Rep. Nereus Acosta, who is facing perjury charges, is seeking court permission to travel to Seoul, South Korea, from Oct. 21 to 25 to attend the founding assembly of the Asia Democracy Network in cooperation with the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats of which he is secretary general.