Senator JV Ejercito. Screengrabbed from INQUIRER.net FILE VIDEO
The Sandiganbayan’s Sixth Division on Tuesday issued another hold departure order (HDO) against Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito and other San Juan City officials over an allegedly anomalous P2.1 million firearms purchase in 2008.
The second HDO was issued in connection with the technical malversation case filed against Ejercito over the allegedly anomalous firearms purchase.
READ: JV Ejercito charged over arms deal
Aside from Ejercito, the second HDO included incumbent San Juan City Vice Mayor Francisco Zamora and 13 other officials such as former San Juan Vice Mayor Leonardo Celles, Andoni Carballo, Vincent Pacheco, Angelino Mendoza, Dante Santiago, Rolando Bernardo, Grace Pardines, Domingo Sese, Francis Peralta, Edgardo Soriano, Jannah Ejercito-Surla, Ramon Nakpil and Joseph Christopher Torralba.
On Monday, the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division issued the first HDO against Ejercito and five other officials accused of graft such as City Administrator Ranulfo Dacalos, Treasurer Rosalinda Marasigan, lawyer Romualdo delos Santos, Budget Officer Lorenza Ching and engineer Danilo Mercardo.
Ejercito is charged with one count of violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and one count of technical malversation as defined under Article 220 of the Revised Penal Code.
According to the information provided by the Office of the Ombudsman, Ejercito conspired with other city officials in February 2008 to purchase high-powered firearms using the city’s calamity fund as “investment for disaster preparedness.”
READ: JV Ejercito, San Juan VM Zamora face graft raps over P2.1-M gun deal
The Ombudsman noted that the city was not under a state of calamity when the purchase was made.
The firearms bought using the city’s calamity fund included three model K2 5.56-mm submachine guns and 17 units of Daewoo model K1 5.56-mm submachine guns.
The Ombudsman said that the firearms are not among the items needed for disaster relief and mitigation. RAM