Hold departure order sought for Pineda brods, Prieto

Ombudsman Aniano Desierto asked the Bureau of Immigration yesterday to issue a hold departure order for alleged jueteng kingpin Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda, his brother Romy and former Presidential Adviser on Bicol Affairs Anton Prieto.

Prosecution witnesses Carmencita Itchon and Emma Lim, staffer and personal secretary, respectively, of former Ilocos Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, testified before the Sandiganbayan’s Special Division that jueteng money delivered to their office at LCS building in San Andres, Bukid, Manila came from Pineda and Prieto.

Overall Deputy Ombudsman Margarito Gervacio said the hold departure order for the Pinedas and Prieto are necessary to the Ombudsman’s preliminary investigation into their possible culpability.

Gervacio said a panel led by special prosecutor Leonardo Tamayo has 60 days within which to conclude its preliminary investigation on whether the Pinedas and Prieto should be indicted.

The panel will also look into the accounts of former President Joseph Estrada in the Security Bank branch in San Juan and the controversial Jose Velarde account in Equitable-PCI Bank.

Meanwhile, the Sandiganbayan has given the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) the go-signal to submit Estrada’s income tax returns from 1987 to 2001.

Prosecutors in the plunder case against Estrada intend to use the income tax returns as proof that he, indeed, amassed ill-gotten wealth amounting to over P4 million.

The anti-graft court junked the defense panel’s motion to quash the subpoena to BIR administrative chief Kathryn Victorino to testify and bring with her Estrada’s income tax returns.