Court issues hold departure order vs Agusan’s Rodolfo Plaza

The Sandiganbayan Second Division has issued hold departure orders (HDO) against former Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza and his co-accused in the criminal charges over their alleged involvement in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

In a one-page order, the anti-graft court directed the Bureau of Immigration to bar Plaza and several others from leaving the country effective August 20.

Aside from Plaza, those issued an HDO were his chief of staff Jasper Kapunan, Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos and his subordinates Lalaine Paule, Marilou Bare, and Rosario Nunez.

Also included in the order were Janet Lim-Napoles, who was recently convicted for serious illegal detention, and her former employee Nitz Cabilao.

The order was signed by Associate Justices Teresita Baldos, Napoleon Inoturan and Maria Cristina Cornejo.

Plaza and others are facing graft and malversation charges for allegedly funnelling P54 million of his pork barrel, a discretionary funds to bogus nongovernment organizations of Napoles for kickbacks.

Half of the amount was allegedly pocketed by the former lawmaker. Julliane Love de Jesus/CB

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