SAN PEDRO ARRAIGNED AT SANDIGAN FOR GRAFT CHARGES

Former Muntinlupa Mayor Aldrin San Pedro  and 11 others has been arraigned at the Sandiganbayan for graft charges over the anomalous purchased of Troley Bags in year 2008 amounting to 22 million which was supposed to be distributed to elementary schools in Muntinlupa.

Based on the filed information by San Pedro’s Former BAC Secretariat Abel Sumabat who is now under the Witness Protection Program of the Department of Justice, the procured 40,000 pcs, trolley bags from a private company without holding public bidding.

The Ombudsman said that the trolley bags was also not included in their Annual Investment Plan (AIP).

San Pedro filed a motion for reconsideration at the Sandiganbayan, but was denied dated April 21, 2016.

According to the Sandigan Bayan, “After a careful evaluation of the accused separate motions, we find the contentions therein not sufficient to set the findings of probable cause, and we rule that there exists probable cause to justify the issuance of warrant of arrests with respect to all accused”.

The resolution was issued by Second Division Senior Member Associate Justice Napoleon Inoturan and was concurred in by Division Chairman Associate Justice Teresita-Diaz- Baldos and Junior Member Associate Justice Michael Frederick Musngi.

Aside from San Pedro’s 22Million Trolley bag case, the Filed Investigation Office under the Ombudsman is now conducting a fact finding investigation of more than 100 Graft complaints by Sumabat which was filed last February 17, 2012. This includes the OMB Lifestyle check Panel has already commenced its investigation on the alleged-ill-gotten wealth of San Pedro and his family and the lifestyle case was docket as OMB-C-12-0504.

Furthermore, even the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), has already conducted the audit and assessment of the dummy companies used by San Pedro and his relatives to a mass millions of money from the coffers of the City Government of Muntinlupa.

The case of San Pedro at the BIR for violations of the 1997 National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) is currently ongoing investigation.

Sumabat has been under the WPP for four years now, and has been praying that the bars Justice rolls out in favor of the Muntinlupeños whom San Pedro is indebted with.