Sandigan Issues Arrest Warrants vs Martinezes

The family of former 4th District Congresswoman Clavel Azas-Martinez will exhaust all the legal remedies to prevent the government’s anti-graft court from enforcing the implementation of a warrant of arrest against the three members of their family.

It was already reported that the Sandiganbayan had already issued warrants of arrest against Clavel, his son former Bogo mayor Celestino “Tining” Martinez III and daughter Maria Cielo Martinez, former treasurer of the Girls Scout of the Philippines-Cebu Chapter.

Aside from the Martinezes, there were other respondents to the graft case still pending before the Sandiganbayan. They are former Bogo municipal treasurer Rhett Minguez, former municipal accountant Cresencio Verdida, bookkeeper Rhodariza Kilantang and GSP Cebu Council cashier Julieta Quino.

Minguez and Verdida were elected as councilors of Bogo City in the last May 13 elections, but their involvement in the criminal case will not be affected.

Their case is in relation to the alleged misuse of Clavel’s Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel in 2003 amounting to P21 million while she was still a lawmaker.

The Office of the Ombudsman had found out that the amount has been channeled to the GSP-Cebu where Clavel also served as chairman of the Board with her daughter as treasurer.

It was reported that from GSP-Cebu, the amount was again channeled to the then municipality of Bogo whose mayor was still Tining, but incidentally the Ombudsman said part of the amount has been deposited to Clavel’s personal bank’s account.

After receiving reports that their Motion for Reconsideration of the decision of the case has been denied by the Sandiganbayan, former mayor Tining Martinez said “We will file the necessary motion but we have not even received a copy of any denial, we pick up our news from the papers.”

The report was that the Sandiganbayan Second Division had reportedly sent Monday the warrant of arrest for the respondents through ordinary mail to the Police Regional Office-7.

Although the Sandiganbayan has recommended P40,000 bail for the anti-graft case for the temporary liberty of each of the accused, but they were not allowed to post bail for the malversation case.