Lawmaker seeks court’s approval to travel abroad

MANILA, Philippines — Reelected Iligan City Rep. Frederick Siao has asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to leave the country for 22 days despite a pending graft case filed against him in connection with an allegedly anomalous land lease deal.

In an urgent motion filed on May 28, Siao asked the anti-graft court’s Third Division to allow him to travel to Europe from June 18 to July 9.

Siao cited “business and leisure” as the reasons for his travel. He said he obtained a travel authority from the office of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on April 18.

The lawmaker assured the anti-graft court that he is not a flight risk and would comply with any requirement that it may impose.

Siao is a co-accused in one of three graft cases that the Office of the Ombudsman filed in 2017 against former Iligan mayor Lawrence Cruz.

The cases stemmed from an agreement that the city government entered into with private company Salvatori Development Corp. (SDC) in 2013 for the lease of the firm’s property in Barangay Tubod.

The property was reportedly used as a terminal for the city’s buses and jeepneys.

The city council, of which Siao was a member at the time, approved a resolution authorizing Cruz to proceed with the contract.

The council was reportedly aware that no public bidding was conducted for the project.