San Juan vice mayor Zamora pleads not guilty to malversation

San Juan Vice Mayor Francis Zamora says he is not an accountable officer in relation to calamity funds as he pleads not guilty to technical malversation before the Sandiganbayan. INQUIRER FILE

San Juan Vice Mayor Francis Zamora pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to technical malversation for the alleged use of calamity funds for high-powered firearms.

Zamora entered the plea during his conditional arraignment before the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division.

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

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

His plea enabled the court to assume jurisdiction over the case and allow it to rule on his motion to travel abroad.

Zamora is seeking the court’s approval for him to travel to California for a family vacation from May 22 to June 9.

In an interview, Zamora said he pleaded not guilty because he was not an accountable officer responsible for the disbursement of the calamity funds.

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

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

Ejercito is the principal accused in the 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. Walang dahilan na pati kami masama,” 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 an ordinance that allowed Ejercito to buy the firearms for the city’s police department.

Ejercito approved the purchase even though the city was not under a state of calamity when the purchase was made.

The firearms bought using the city’s calamity fund include: 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 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 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 incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, will have a Senate term until 2019./rga