Wagas now in Bilibid prison

CEBU, Philippines - Former Compostela mayor Gilbert Wagas will have to stay at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa while his motion to lift the warrant of arrest for the malversation case against him will be heard before the Sandiganbayan.

Gilbert’s brother, Mayor Ritchie Wagas confirmed yesterday that his brother is now detained at the prison while the motion will still be heard by the anti-graft court.

 Ritchie said that the scheduled hearing of the motion will be on November 10, so he has to stay in jail for five days.   He added that they will be doing his best to free his brother as he believes the case is politically motivated.

 Ritchie and Gilbert both claim Ramon “Red” Durano VI is the one behind the arrest saying that Durano was threatened after Gilbert expressed interest in running for Congress in the 5th district.

 Ritchie showed The FREEMAN yesterday Durano’s request of the decision of RTC Branch 58 before the Supreme Court. The request was denied as he is not a party to the case.

 Durano denied the allegations of the two saying that he has nothing to do with the arrest and he is not even threatened by Gilbert being his opponent in the 5th district.

 Durano said that he is anticipating that he will be having opponents in the May 2010 elections.

 “With regards to his alleged ‘politically motivated’ alibi, pirmi raman na niya nga rason bisan unsay mga resulta sa iyang binuhatan, ang mga Durano iyang pasanginlan. The conviction was in 2003 pa nga nag ung-ong nana sa Sandiganbayan. In 2003, wa pa gani nanimaho si Cong. Red anang panahona nganong ipahid paman ni Gilbert iyang sala sa ubang tawo? Niabot nalang gyud ang oras nga matagaan ug hustisya ang mga tawo sa Compostela,” Durano said.

 Durano said that he has no hand in the decision as it came out from the Sandiganbayan.

 Should the Sandiganbayan deny Wagas of his motion, he will have to serve his sentence of reclusion perpetua after the graft court found him guilty of malversation of public funds.

On Oct. 8, 2001, Associate Justice Rodolfo Palattao of the Sandiganbayan’s fourth division found Wagas guilty of misappropriating P376,618.65.

He, along with former municipal treasurer Dominador Maravillas, were sentenced to reclusion perpetua or at least 30 years imprisonment.

The accused were also ordered to pay the misappropriated money.

Wagas was flown to Manila yesterday following his arrest last Wednesday afternoon inside SM City Cebu.

The Sandiganbayan declared as “established, effective, and enforceable” the bench arrest warrant implemented by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas. — Jasmin R. Uy/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)