Arrest warrant vs North Cotabato governor deferred

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan deferred yesterday the issuance of an arrest warrant for North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza.

Magistrates of the anti-graft court’s first division chaired by Associate Justice Efren de la Cruz said they would decide first on Mendoza’s motion for judicial determination of probable cause of the charges filed against her.

The anti-graft court also gave the Office of the Ombudsman 10 days to comment on the motion and five days for the defense to file its answer.

Mendoza was indicted earlier this month for allegedly procuring without public bidding P2.4 million worth of diesel in 2010 from a gasoline station owned by her mother.