Biazon to serve 90-day suspension for graft

MANILA, Philippines - Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon has indicated his intention to serve the 90-day suspension that the Sandiganbayan has imposed on him.

He confirmed to the anti-graft court that he had received the suspension order and that he would comply.

Biazon said he would accept the administrative sanction “without need or request for the Speaker’s further action aside from giving notice to the Court of the immediate implementation of the order.”

“I did not object to the motion by the prosecution,” he said, adding he had even requested that the preventive suspension begin on Oct. 10 but that the court only issued the order a week later.

“I submit myself to the legal processes and the preventive suspension is mandatory. It is not a penalty nor is it an indication of guilt. It merely ensures that the evidence and witnesses are not tampered or influenced, something that I have no intention of doing,” he said.

“The court itself said it is just ministerial on their part to grant the motion. Again, I emphasize that I have faith in the judicial system and I have confidence in my defense of my innocence.” 

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Biazon, who served as Customs commissioner in the Aquino administration, manifested his “intention to serve out the preventive suspension once official communication is received by the House.”

In a three-page compliance letter, Alvarez told the anti-graft court’s Seventh Division that the House has transmitted Biazon’s letters to the committee on rules on Oct. 19, the day it received the Oct. 17 suspension order.

“Pursuant to the nature of the House of Representatives as a collegial body, and in accordance with the provisions of the House Rules provisionally adopted on 25 July 2016 to govern the proceedings of the 17th Congress, the Speaker transmitted the letter of Rep. Biazon dated 06 October 2016 and the Resolution of the Sandiganbayan promulgated on 17 October 2016, to the Committee on Rules on 19 October 2016,” Alvarez’s report read.

Biazon’s case arose from his endorsement in 2007 of P3 million in his pork barrel funds to NGOs of Janet Lim-Napoles – Philippine Social Foundation Inc., with the Technology Resource Center acting as implementing agency.

Biazon’s co-accused have also been suspended, among them Department of Budget and Management undersecretary Mario Relampagos and his staff Rosario Nunez, Lalaine Paule and Marilou Bare.

They are all facing charges of malversation of public funds as well.

Graft and malversation charges were also filed against Biazon’s agent, former Energy Regulatory Commission chair Zenaida Cruz-Ducut, as well as Napoles and former TRC executives Arturo Ortiz, Dennis Cunanan and Francisco Figura.

Biazon was also charged with direct bribery for allegedly receiving P1.95 million in kickbacks from alleged ghost projects.

On Sept. 6, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.