Syjuco couple seeks court nod for Hong Kong trip

MANILA, Philippines — Former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) director general Augusto Syjuco and his wife former Iloilo representative Judy Syjuco have asked the Sandiganbayan to allow them to leave the country for 12 days.

In a joint urgent motion recently filed before the anti-graft court’s second division, the couple said they would go to Singapore from Jan. 3 to 14.

Syjuco said he was advised by his physician to continue his chemotheraphy for advanced myelodysplastic syndrome, a type of blood disorder, which he said would lead to leukemia if not aggressively treated.

Judy said she would accompany her husband during the medical procedure.

The couple is facing two counts of graft in connection with the alleged misuse of Judy’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel worth P20 million in 2006.

The Office of the Ombudsman said Judy’s PDAF was coursed through TESDA, which was chaired by Syjuco at the time.

The ombudsman said the Tagipusuon Foundation Inc., a non-government organization chosen as the partner in implementing Judy’s Education for All Project, was also founded and owned by Syjuco.

The couple said they are not a flight risk, noting that they intend to vindicate their names. 

Judy filed a similar motion before the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division, where she is facing graft and malversation charges over the alleged ghost deliveries of cell phones worth P5.9 million, which were purchased in 2005 also using her PDAF.