MANILA, Philippines — The Third Division of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has allowed former Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay to push through with his three-week vacation to the United States together with his children.
As he prayed for in his motion, Binay was allowed to stay in United States of America from June 8 to 30. He is specifically allowed to travel to the states of California, New York and Washington – the places he cited in his motion to travel filed before the court on May 22.
The Third Division did not give weight on the prosecution's position that Binay must not be allowed to leave the country as he is supposedly a flight risk given the gravity of the cases he is facing in court.
Binay is facing four counts of graft, one count of malversation of public funds and six counts of falsification of public documents before the Third Division in connection with the alleged overpriced construction of the P2.2 billion Makati City Hall Building II, also referred as the Makati parking building.
The Third Division had earlier issued a hold departure order (HDO) against Binay to bar him from leaving the country unless there is a prior written permission from the court.
In a minute-resolution promulgated on May 29, released to the media Friday, the Third Division set Binay's travel bond at P608,000.
The Third Division, however, clarified that since Binay has not withdrawn the P608,000 travel bond he deposited to the court during a previous travel to US the same bond would suffice for his new travel request.
The court reminded Binay that he must leave the country not earlier than June 8 and must return not later than June 30.
Binay was also directed to personally appear before the Third Division office of the clerk of court within five days after his return to the country and present the original and photo copy of his passport bearing the stamps of his departure from and return to the Philippines.
The Third Division warned Binay that “any material misrepresentation” in his motion “shall be punished as contempt of this Court and shall be dealt with accordingly”.
The Third Division further warned Binay that any violation of the terms and conditions set by the court in connection with his travel request, shall be a ground for the “forfeiture of his bail and travel bond and the issuance of a warrant for his arrest”.
In his motion, Binay said he will be accompanying his four daughters, who are minors, in their much-deserved vacation in the US after they “successfully hurdled the 2016-2017 school year”.
Binay maintained that “he has no intention to jump on his bail or evade the law...[and] wants to protect and defend himself during the proceedings of this Honorable Court.”