Sandigan OKs Honasan's Hong Kong trip

MANILA, Philippines — The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has granted the request of Sen. Gregorio Honasan to leave the country for four days amid his pending cases in connection with the alleged misuse of P30 million of his Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel in 2012.

In a minute-resolution dated February 28, the court's Second Division has allowed Honasan to stay in Hong Kong from March 15 to 18 despite the opposition of the Office of the Ombudsman's prosecution team.

The Second Division had earlier issued a hold departure order against Honasan to prevent him from leaving the country unless there is a prior written permission from the court.

The HDO was issued in connection with the two counts of graft filed by the ombudsman against Honasan in August last year.

In granting Honasan's travel request, the Second Division reminded him that “his itinerary shall cover Hong Kong only”.

The senator was also required to deposit before the court P120,000 as travel bond.

The court, however, noted that Honasan had already paid the required amount on February 28, thus, “the same shall serve as the travel bond required for this travel”.

Furthermore, the Second Division directed Honasan to personally appear before the clerk of court within five days upon his return to the Philippines and “submit proof of date” of his arrival.

“Should he fail to comply with the conditions herein imposed in connection with the authority to travel, trial against him shall proceed in absentia; the travel cash bond shall be cancelled and forfeited in favor of the government and any future Motion for Leave to Travel which may be filed by him shall be denied,” the court warned.

In his motion filed last month, Honasan said he was invited by the Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Inc. to be the main speaker in two seminars for the Overseas Filipino Workers regarding Charter change and federalism.

Honasan assured the court that he has no intention of absconding or evading the prosecution of his cases.

The graft cases against Honasan stemmed from the release of P30 million of his PDAF in April 2012 to National Council on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) for supposed implementation of his programs and projects for the Muslim Filipinos in Metro Manila and Zambales.

The ombudsman said Honasan “unilaterally chose and endorsed” non-government organization (NGO) Focus on Development Goals Foundation Inc. to be the implementer of the projects without the benefit of a public bidding required under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

The ombudsman said Honasan and his co-accused NCMF officials instead entered into a negotiated procurement with Focus “absence any appropriation law or ordinance” for such mode of procurement.

The ombudsman said the respondent NCMF officials processed the payment of a total of P29.1 million, given in two tranches, to Focus “with unusual accommodation and haste”.

“Focus, as endorsed by Honasan, unduly profited from the questionable transactions, to the damage and prejudice of the Republic of the Philippines,” the case information sheet read.

Honasan, through his lawyer, Dennis Manalo, had earlier maintained that “there was a clear and blatant misinterpretation of facts by the [Ombudsman's] prosecution panel when they decided to file the cases.”