Graft court summons Nani Perez anew

Former justice secretary Hernando “Nani” Perez has been summoned by the Sandiganbayan for the arraignment on the fourth criminal case filed against him in connection with the $2-million extortion case filed by against him by former Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez.

The third division of the anti-graft court ordered Perez to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. on May 21 to submit his plea on charges of violation of Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code (Falsification of Public Document) for his supposed non-disclosure in his 2001 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) of the amount of $1.7 million deposited in his and his wife’s bank accounts that was allegedly extorted from Jimenez.

The clerk of court of the division, chaired by Associate Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr. with Associate Justices Efren de la Cruz and Norberto Geraldez as members, have already notified Perez’s lawyers about the scheduled arraignment.

The court has set the arraignment of Perez, President Arroyo’s first justice secretary, despite a motion to quash filed by his lawyers last Friday seeking cancellation of falsification charges against him.

His counsels, led by lawyer Marcial Balgos, argued that the fourth criminal case should be dropped since it was already incorporated in the graft charges being handled by another division.

But court officials explained that Perez and his lawyers should still appear at the scheduled arraignment when the division has also set a hearing on their petition.      – Edu Punay