Cunanan conditionally arraigned for motion to travel

By: Marc Jayson Cayabyab - 10 years ago

Dennis Cunanan. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Sandiganbayan third division on Wednesday allowed state witness Dennis Cunanan to be conditionally arraigned for his motion to travel abroad even as he faces graft charges over the pork barrel scam.

Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang said Cunanan’s arraignment does not mean his motion for authority to travel to Japan and US would be granted.

Tang said the division only allowed Cunanan to be arraigned as a precondition for them to consider Cunanan’s motion.

Cunanan on Friday filed a motion to travel to Japan from July 7 to 15, and to the United States from July 20 to August 3.

In his motion, Cunanan intends to travel to fulfill his duties as a world secretary general of the Junior Chambers International, as well as to attend the United Nations Global Partnership Summit in New York.

He has also asked the court to lift the hold-departure order against him as he faces graft charges for his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

The former director general of the Technology Resource Center (TRC) faces seven counts of graft as co-accused of senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. in the pork barrel scam.

Cunanan had been arraigned in his graft case with Estrada and Revilla.

He is conditionally arraigned in the third division hearing Enrile’s case pending the resolution finding probable cause to hold Enrile on trial.

Cunanan pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Cunanan is accused of using TRC as a conduit between lawmakers and the bogus foundations of alleged mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles to earn kickbacks.

As provisional state witness, Cunanan has testified that Senators Estrada and Revilla called him up personally so that the senator’s pork barrel funds were funneled to Napoles’ bogus foundations. Revilla and Estrada have surrendered, while the arrest warrant against Enrile remained pending.

The Ombudsman had junked Cunanan’s bid for immunity from charges.