Echiverri posts bail anew

MANILA, Philippines - Former Caloocan City mayor Enrico Echiverri no longer waited for another division of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan to order his arrest.

Accompanied by his lawyer, Echiverri yesterday posted a P30,000 bail bond before the court’s Second Division for a graft case in connection with an allegedly anomalous drainage project in 2011.

Echiverri posted his bail even before the Second Division released a ruling finding probable cause to proceed with the trial of the case and to order his arrest.

On Thursday, Echiverri was served an arrest warrant by the court sheriff as he was attending the hearing of his motion to dismiss the case against him with the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division.

Echiverri was caught by surprise and asked for a 50 percent reduction of his bail. The Third Division granted his request and allowed him to post P15,000 bail.

Echiverri is facing a graft case before the Third Division in connection with a P1.962-million contract awarded to Golden 3T Construction for a drainage improvement project in Amparo Subdivision in 2011.

His cases before the Second Division stemmed from a P2.751-million contract awarded to E.V. & E Construction, also for a drainage project in Barangay 165 Pleasantview Subdivision.

The ombudsman said the contracts were awarded without the required authorization and budget allocation from the Sangguniang Panglungsod or city council as provided under the Local Government Code.

Named as Echiverri’s co-accused were former city accountant Edna Centeno and former city budget officer Jesusa Garcia.

Centeno and Garcia have already posted bail before the Third Division but they have yet to post bail before the Second Division.