Sandigan nixes Binay plea on arraignment

Former Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

The Sandiganbayan has denied the plea of former Vice President Jejomar Binay to modify the standard terms of his conditional arraignment for his coming pilgrimage in the Holy Land.

In an eight-page resolution on Monday, the Third Division rejected Binay’s fear that accepting the standard conditions would make him lose his rights and legal remedies later on.

As a precondition for permission to go to Israel from May 15 to 29, Binay would have to be conditionally arraigned on Wednesday under the usual terms imposed on defendants traveling abroad.

The antigraft court usually requires conditional arraignment before granting travel authority to an accused who has yet to be formally arraigned. This serves as an assurance that he could be tried in absentia in case he fails to return to the country.

On April 21, Binay asked the antigraft court to amend the provision which converts conditional arraignment to regular arraignment in case prosecutors decide to reinvestigate the case and proceed.