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Friday, March 29, 2024

Sandiganbayan suspends gov over fertilizer scandal

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THE Sandiganbayan’s Second Division has ordered the suspension of Marinduque Gov. Carmencita Reyes for 60 days over her involvement in the fertilizer fund scam in 2004.

In a resolution, the anti-graft court ruled in favor of the prosecution to suspend Reyes for graft and technical malversation charges over the  alleged misuse of fertilizer funds.

It invoked Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act stipulating that a public official facing charges may be placed under preventive suspension.

Despite Reyes’ defense that the case was politically motivated, the anti-graft court maintained it cannot be influenced by political considerations.

“The political considerations or factors being raised by the accused cannot override the mandatory character of the suspension pendente lite that must be observed by the Court, which should remain apolitical,” the resolution read.

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“Wherefore, the Court hereby grants the motion and accordingly orders the suspension pendente lite of Carmencita Reyes as Provincial Governor of Marinduque, and from any other position which she may now or hereafter be holding, for a period of 60 days.”

Reyes maintained her innocence, saying her continued stay in her post would not affect the case since the prosecution’s witnesses were no longer provincial government workers.

She appealed to the Sandiganbayan to allow her to stay, citing her political rivals in the May 2016 local elections could only take advantage of her 60-day preventive suspension.

The Office of the Ombudsman filed the charges against Reyes before the Sandiganbayan, alleging her of misuse of P5 million in fertilizer funds for poor farmers but instead were spent for one shredding machine, a milling equipment, a pelletizer, and a Tornado Brush Chipper from LCV Design and Fabrication Corp. without public bidding.

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