San Juan vice mayor allowed to go abroad amid malversation rap

The Sandiganbayan allowed outgoing San Juan Vice Mayor Francis Zamora to travel to Los Angeles, California even as he faces technical malversation over the alleged anomalous use of calamity funds for high-powered firearms in 2008.

The Sandiganbayan allowed outgoing San Juan Vice Mayor Francis Zamora to travel to Los Angeles, California even as he faces a technical malversation charge for the alleged anomalous use of calamity funds for high-powered firearms in 2008.

The anti-graft court issued the resolution on Tuesday allowing Zamora to travel abroad after he underwent a conditional arraignment earlier in the day.

The court authorized Zamora to travel to Los Angeles, California from May 22 to June 11 provided that he leaves the country not earlier than May 22 and return not later than June 11.

The court said his itinerary should only cover Los Angeles, California and no other place.

The court also instructed Zamora to pay a travel bond of P6,000 to ensure his faithful compliance with the terms and conditions of the grant of travel.

Also, Zamora should report to the court about his travel five days after his return to the country.

The court also said violating the terms and conditions of the resolution would be a sufficient ground for the court to forfeit the travel bond and issue the arrest warrant.

Zamora on Tuesday morning pleaded not guilty to technical malversation during his conditional arraignment.

READ: San Juan vice mayor Zamora pleads not guilty to malversation 

He was charged as part of the city council which approved the issuance of an ordinance to allow the use of the calamity funds for high-powered firearms. He was then a councilor.

Zamora is the son of Minority Leader San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora.

Zamora pleaded not guilty in his arraignment, enabling the court to assume jurisdiction over his case so that it could rule on his motion to travel abroad.

In an interview, Zamora said he pleaded not guilty because he said he should not be charged with technical malversation because he was not an accountable officer responsible for the disbursement of the calamity funds.

“Definitely not guilty kasi hindi naman ako (because I was not an) accountable officer. For someone who can be charged with graft he must be an accountable officer,” Zamora said.

Zamora recently lost his bid as Taguig mayor against former ally reelectionist Taguig Mayor Guia Gomez, mother of Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito.

Ejercito is the principal accused in the technical malversation case for being San Juan mayor in 2008 when the purchase of high-powered rifles was made.

In the anti-graft court Fifth Division, Ejercito was separately charged with graft for the alleged anomalous purchase of high-powered rifles worth P2.1 million using calamity funds.

Ejercito has posted bail.

READ: Ejercito blames rivals in firearms deal graft rap

Zamora denied being behind the charges as alleged by his political nemesis Ejercito.

“Common sense will tell you that we’ve also been charged, although not with graft, unlike sa kanya (his case). Walang dahilan na pati kami masama (There is no reason for us to be included),” Zamora said.

“That’s absurd. In fact, we’re also facing a legal battle because of him,” he added, referring to Ejercito.

According to the graft information, Ejercito conspired with other city officials to purchase high-powered firearms in February 2008 using the city’s calamity fund as “investment for disaster preparedness.”

The city council which included Zamora then passed a city ordinance allowing Ejercito to buy the firearms for the city’s police department.

Ejercito approved the purchase although 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 units of model K2 cal. 5.56mm sub-machine guns and 17 units of Daewoo model K1 cal. 5.56 mm sub-machine guns.

The purchase of the firearms was done with haste without “competitive bidding and without any post-qualification, bolstered by bid documents bearing dates earlier than the publication of the invitation to bid, showing that an unwarranted benefit, advantage and preference was accorded to the supplier,” the prosecutors said.

The Office of the Ombudsman cited the joint circular between the Departments of Budget and Management and the Interior and Local Government which did not include high-powered firearms among the items needed for disaster relief and mitigation.

READ: JV Ejercito, San Juan VM Zamora face graft raps over P2.1-M gun deal

Ejercito, the son of former President and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, will have a Senate term until 2019. RAM/rga