Sandiganbayan allows Ongpin’s Europe trip

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan has granted former trade minister Roberto Ongpin’s request for a month-long travel permit to Europe despite the graft charges he is facing for allegedly receiving P660 million in behest loans from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) in 2009.

In a two-page ruling, the anti-graft court’s Third Division granted his motion for travel abroad from Feb. 24 to March 25 subject to the payment of a travel cash bond of P100,000.

Ongpin’s itinerary submitted said he is leaving on Feb. 24 for Paris, France before proceeding to Perugia, Italy on March 1. His travel schedule said he will move on to London on March 11 before going to Madrid, Spain on March 16 and back to Paris on March 20.

And on the way back to Manila, he will have an overnight stop at the Island Shangri-La Hotel in Hong Kong on March 24 before returning home the following day.

Ongpin, whose lawyers said he is not a flight risk, pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was conditionally arraigned for purposes of a travel clearance last week.