Sandigan OKs Syjuco couple's Singapore trip

MANILA, Philippines — The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has granted the request of former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority director general Augusto Syjuco and wife former Iloilo representative Judy Syjuco to stay in Singapore for 12 days.

In separate resolutions issued by the anti-graft court's First, Second, Third and Fifth Divisions, the Syjuco couple were granted permission to travel to Singapore from January 22 to February 2.

In their motion, the couple said Augusto was advised by his physician to undergo a series of chemotherapy sessions at Haematology and Stem Cell Transplant Centre of the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, in connection with his “advanced myelodysplastic syndrome.”

The couple said Augusto's physician Patrick Tan explained that the medical condition has a “high chance to progress to leukemia if untreated.”

Judy said she intends to accompany her husbands in all his chemotherapy sessions.

The couple originally asked the court divisions to also allow them to go to Singapore on February 22, March 22, April 22, May 22, June 22 and July 22 to complete the sessions.

The court divisions, however, have yet to decide on the other dates prayed by the Syjucos in their motion.

The Judy and Augusto Syjuco are each facing two counts of graft before the Second Division in connection with the alleged misuse of Judy's P20-million Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel in 2006.

Based on the information of the cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2014, Judy's PDAF was coursed through TESDA then chaired by her husband. The Tagipusuon Foundation Inc., a non-government organization chosen as partner in implementing Judy's Education for All Project, was also allegedly founded and owned by Augusto.

Augusto, meanwhile, is facing one count of graft before the First Division in connection with the alleged allocation of P999,900 of his PDAF during his term as Iloilo representative in 2004, also to Tagipusuon Foundation.

The ombudsman said Tagipusuon was “predetermined” as the partner NGO in the implementation of Augusto's educational project without the a public bidding.

The ombudsman said Tagipusuon was also able “to pad the amount spent for the program” due to the respondent and his co-accused municipal officials' failure to properly scrutinize the NGO's submitted documents.

Augusto's graft cases before the Fifth Division, meanwhile, stemmed from his alleged use of P4.3 million of his PDAF in 2000 to finance his own poultry business.

Judy, meanwhile, is facing graft and malversation cases before the Third Division over the alleged ghost delivery of P5.9 million worth of cellphones purchased in 2005 using her PDAF.

In granting the motion, the court divisions directed the Syjucos to appear before the clerk of court within five days after their return and present their respective passports bearing the stamps of their departure from and arrival to the Philippines.

“That any material misrepresentation made in the accused's motion for leave to travel abroad shall be punished as contempt of this Court and shall be dealt with accordingly,” the Sandiganbayan warned.

The court divisions also reminded the couple that their failure to return to the country on February 2 shall be a sufficient ground to order the forfeiture of their travel bond and the issuance of a warrant for their arrest.