House bill to protect members from preventive suspensions

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

LAWMAKERS led by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez III have filed a bill to protect congressmen from preventive suspensions by the Sandiganbayan antigraft court for alleged offenses committed while holding previous government positions.

House Bill No. 3605 seeks to amend Section 13 of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The section allows the preventive suspension and cancellation of all retirement benefits of the official upon conviction, and reinstatement if he is acquitted.

Alvarez and coauthors Representatives Rudy Fariñas, Danilo Suarez and Harry Roque described their proposed amendment to the law as “providing an exception to the imposition of preventive suspension against public officers.”

The amendment says an incumbent public officer facing graft charges shall be suspended “provided, that in case such incumbent public officer is no longer connected with the office wherein the offense charged was committed, the preventive suspension order shall no longer be implemented.” Nikko Dizon