Retired PNP Chief Avelino Razon. Inquirer file photo
MANILA, Philippines—Saying the case against them was strong, the Sandiganbayan has denied bail for detained former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Avelino Razon and 14 other police officials and employees charged in 2013 with malversation for ghost repairs of police light armored vehicles.
The Sandiganbayan Fourth Division, however, allowed two of the accused, former police Deputy Director General Reynaldo Varilla and former Director Charlemagne Alejandrino to post bail of P200,000 each for their temporary liberty.
Razon and 17 of his coaccused have been detained at the Camp Crame Custodial Center since August 2013 when they turned themselves in after the antigraft court ordered their arrest.
They were charged with malversation through falsification for anomalous repairs worth P385.5 million on 28 V-150 light armored vehicles made when Razon headed the PNP.
“After painstakingly going over the evidence presented by the prosecution, the court is convinced that it was able to establish strong evidence of guilt on the part of the accused,” read the court decision penned by Associate Justice Alex Quiroz. The division chairman, Associate Justice Jose Hernandez and member Associate Justice Napoleon Herrera concurred.
Aside with Razon, denied bail were former police Directors Geary Barias and Eliseo Dela Paz; former Senior Superintendents Emmanuel Ojeda, Reuel Labrado and Superintendent Josefina Dumanew; former Chief Inspector Annalee Forro; and nonuniformed personnel Alex Barrameda, Nancy Basallo, Patricia Enaje, Maria Teresa Narcise, Tyrone Ong, Oscar Madamba, Evangeline Bais and Pamela Pensotes.
More than 10 other accused are still at large.
The court said the bidding process had numerous irregularities, the private suppliers were technically and financially incapable to undertake the repairs, the parts purchased were wrong and the payment was excessive.
“Despite these irregularities which would have prevented the questioned transactions from taking place, the accused still proceeded with the procurement,” the Sandiganbayan noted.
The court said it granted bail for Varilla and Alejandrino because “their participation has been limited to their signatures contained in the National Headquarters Bids and Awards Committee Resolution which has not been admitted by this court as evidence.”
It said “there is nothing in the other documents or testimonial evidence to prove their involvement in the transactions.” “It hereby finds that the evidence against them is not strong and thus grants their petition for bail,” the court said.