Prosecutors oppose Cunanan’s bid to travel

Dennis Cunanan walks out the Sandiganbayan after the arraignment proceedings.  LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines—The prosecution panel urged the Sandiganbayan not to allow state witness Dennis Cunanan to leave the country as he faces graft charges for his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

In their comment of opposition on Cunanan’s motion to travel, the Office of the Special Prosecutor said the former director general of the Technology Resource Center (TRC) has not proven the necessity of his presence during the trips abroad.

Cunanan on Friday filed a motion to travel to Japan from July 7 to 15, and to the United States from July 20 to August 3.

In his motion, Cunanan intends to travel to fulfill his duties as a world secretary general of the Junior Chambers International, as well as to attend the United Nations Global Partnership Summit in New York.

He has also asked the court to lift the hold departure order against him as he faces graft charges for his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

The prosecuting panel said Cunanan “failed to demonstrate the necessity of his alleged participation in the events mentioned…”

“He did not also allege that his absence… will be prejudicial to the interest of JCI,” the motion read.

Cunanan also failed to defend that his presence could not be deferred at another time, the prosecution said.

The prosecution also questioned Cunanan’s defense that he does not intend to flee the country because he had always returned from his previous foreign trips at the time he was already implicated in the scam.

“The various cases filed against said accused pose a serious motivation to flee and no longer return if he is authorized to leave the country,” the motion read.

Cunanan also failed to indicate the complete addresses of the places he will be staying in Japan and US, according to the motion.

With the following objections, the prosecutor said it also opposed Cunanan’s motion to be arraigned before the court’s third division since the plea “has no more leg to stand on.”

“It is respectfully prayed that the accused Cunanan’s motion for leave to travel abroad and motion to set arraignment… be denied for lack of merit,” the motion read.

Cunanan faces seven counts of graft as co-accused of senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. in the pork barrel scam.

Cunanan is accused of using TRC as a conduit between lawmakers and the bogus foundations of alleged mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles to earn kickbacks.

As provisional state witness, Cunanan has testified that Senators Estrada and Revilla called him up personally so that the senators’ pork barrel funds were funneled to Napoles’ bogus foundations. Revilla and Estrada have surrendered, while the arrest warrant against Enrile remained pending.

The Ombudsman had junked Cunanan’s bid for immunity from charges.

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