Sandiganbayan orders ER Ejercito's arrest

The Sandiganbayan Fourth Division on Monday ordered the arrest of disqualified Laguna Gov. Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito after he failed to attend his scheduled arraignment for a graft case in connection with the alleged anomalous insurance deal entered in 2008.

During the scheduled arraignment, Ejercito’s lawyer, Antonio Jose Gerardo Paz informed the court that his client cannot attend the proceedings since he [Estregan] remains confined at Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) in San Juan City.

Paz presented to the court a medical certificate dated April 18, 2016. Based on the medical certificate, Ejercito was confined on April 17, Sunday to present due to symptoms of “community acquired pneumonia with moderate risk.”

However, Fourth Division junior member Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg noted of the seeming alteration in the hand-written date of Ejercito’s supposed hospital confinement. She also noted of the inconsistency between the name of the doctor who supposedly attended to the former governor and the name of the signatory in the certificate.

Based on the certificate, Ejercito was confined under the services of a certain Dr. Bagno and yet the one who signed the certificate was a certain Dr. Maria Fe Y. Alvarez.

Econg also noted that the certificate does not bear any stamp or dry seal of CSMC.

'No value'

Meanwhile, Fourth Division chairman Associate Justice Jose Hernandez was likewise not convinced of the authenticity of the medical certificate.

“This certificate has no value this court. It cannot be used for legal purposes…This kind of medical certificate should only be presented in school,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez then ordered the issuance of a bench warrant of arrest against Ejercito and the forfeiture of the P30,000 bail bond he had earlier posted in exchange for his provisional liberty.

“Let a warrant of arrest be issued against the accused and his bail bond be confiscated,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez, however, gave Ejercito’s camp 30 days to respond to the show cause order explaining why he should not be arrested.

Reached for comment, Ejercito told GMA News that he was indeed at the CSMC undergoing treatment.

"Puntahan nila ko dito," Ejercito said.

The court, meanwhile, ordered both the prosecution and the defense to submit ten days before May 17 their respective pre-trial brief detailing also the evidence and witnesses they intend to present during the trial proper of the case.

Meanwhile, Ejercito’s seven co-accused namely, former Pagsanjan vice mayor Crisostomo Vilar and former municipal councilors Arlyn Lazaro-Torres, Terryl Gamit-Talabong, Kalahi Rabago, Erwin Sacluti and Gener Dimaranan, as well as private respondent Marilyn Bruel have all entered a “not guilty” plea.

On the other hand, the case against former councilor Ronaldo Sablan was ordered dismissed due to his death in 2011.

Filed by the Ombudsman early last month, the graft case against Ejercito and eight other individuals stemmed from an insurance deal that the Pagsanjan municipal government entered into with a private company, First Rapids Care Ventures (FRCV).

The Ombudman said that that aside from the respondents’ failure to hold a public bidding, the deal was also awarded to FRCV despite the fact that it has no license or certificate of authority from the Insurance Commission to engage in the insurance business.

The offense was allegedly committed in 2008 during the term of Ejercito as mayor of Pagsanjan.

The deal was for the supposed “accident protection and financial assistance” coverage of tourists and qualified boatmen plying the route to and from the Pagsanjan Gorge Tourist Zone. 

Ejercito, who also goes by the screen name George Estregan, was unseated by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in May 2014 as Laguna governor over supposed campaign overspending in 2013 elections.

In February 2015, the Supreme Court ruled with finality to uphold the Comelec’s ruling. — ALG/RSJ, GMA News