MANILA, Philippines — State prosecutors opposed the plea of Dennis Cunanan to leave the country even as he faces graft charges in connection with the pork barrel scam.
Cunanan, the former director general of the Technology Resource Center (TRC), asked the Sandiganbayan’s permission for him to go to US from November 10 to 16, and to Germany from November 18 to December 2.
Cunanan said he has to go abroad to fulfill his duties as world secretary general of the Junior Chambers International (JCI). He also reiterated that he is not a “flight risk.”
Dennis Cunanan. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
But prosecutors said the 22-day period Cunanan is seeking is enough time to flee from his charges.
“If authorized to leave the country, these cases filed against him pose a serious motivation to flee and no longer return,” the prosecution said in their comment opposition.
The prosecutors also said the JCI may send a deputy to take the place of Cunanan.
“Considering that no compelling reason exists for Cunanan’s motions to travel, the denial of the motions is proper,” the comment opposition read.
As provisional state witness, Cunanan has testified that Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. called him up personally to funnel their pork barrel funds to the bogus foundations of Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged brains behind the scam.
Cunanan is accused of using TRC as a conduit between lawmakers and Napoles’ bogus foundations to earn kickbacks.
The Ombudsman had junked Cunanan’s bid for immunity from charges.
All three divisions of the anti-graft court hearing the pork barrel scam case had denied Cunanan’s earlier motions to travel to Japan and US.
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