Sandiganbayan guard suspended for soliciting from Napoles lawyer
The Supreme Court. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–The Supreme Court has placed under preventive suspension the Sandiganbayan security guard accused of soliciting money from the lawyer of Janet Lim-Napoles.
In an order, the high court said Ronald Allan Gole Cruz is placed under preventive suspension while the court decides on the complaint.
“Considering the gravity of the imputed wrongdoing, which can be classified as grave misconduct and/or conduct prejudicial to public interest, and considering further the long holidays ahead, it is necessary to place Cruz under preventive suspension,” the resolution read.
In a letter submitted to Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje Tang and Associate Justice Samuel Martires, fellow security personnel accused Cruz of soliciting P20,000 from Napoles’ lead counsel Stephen David supposedly for a bogus Christmas party.
In the letter, security guards Darwin Trinidad and Rodelio Lalongisip said Cruz first asked a cameraman to deliver a solicitation letter to David in the men’s comfort room.
David then allegedly gave Cruz the solicitation money on December 2, after Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s bail hearing.
The security personnel denied Cruz’s claim that there was a scheduled Christmas party for the security staff.
“We are praying that this matter be given due course for we cannot afford to let one rotten tomato destroy the image of the entire security force,” Trinidad and Lalongisip said.
Napoles faces plunder and graft charges for allegedly masterminding the elaborate scheme of diverting lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Funds to ghost projects for kickbacks. She is detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa female dormitory.
Also detained for plunder are Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile.
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