Sandiganbayan building facade. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–The Sandiganbayan has already ordered the police to release from its custody one of the co-accused of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in plunder case regarding the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) scam to post P1 million for his temporary liberty.
Ordered released is former PCSO Director Jose Taruc V after posting P1-million bail.
“Finding in order the cash bond posted by Atty. Vincent Paul Saavedra for the provisional liberty of Jose Taruc V in the amount of P1million as authorized in the resolution promulgated March 31, 2014, the Court hereby approved the cash bond posted,” the anti-graft court said.
“In view thereof, the Detection and Special Operations Unit (DSOU) PNP-CIDG (Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group ) is hereby directed to release accused Jose Taruc V from custody, unless the accused is also being held for other causes not in connection with this case, the court added.
The release order was signed by Associate Justices Efren De la Cruz, Rodolfo Ponferrada and Napoleon Inoturan.
He is the fourth co-accused of Arroyo to post bail. Others include former PCSO Board of Directors Manuel Morato and Raymundo Roquero and PCSO Board Chairman Sergio Valencia. Valencia and Morato posted P500,000 bail each while Roquero posted P750,000 for their temporary liberty.
On March 17, Taruc surrendered before the Sandiganbayan.
He left the country in July 2012 before the Bureau of Immigration could issue a hold departure order against them.
RELATED STORIES
Taruc pleads not guilty in PCSO plunder charge
Ex-PCSO exec in plunder case surrenders