Court affirms preventive suspension order vs Quezon City Councilor Paulate
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Fri, 05 Apr 2019 07:01:47 +0000
THE Sandiganbayan Seventh Division maintained its ruling that ordered the 90-day preventive suspension of Quezon City Councilor Roderick Paulate pending litigation of the graft case and falsification cases which he and another individual were facing in connection with 30 allegedly “fictitious job contractors” in 2010.
In a resolution, the court denied Paulate’s motion for reconsideration for lack of merit.
“Considering that the validity of the information (charge sheet) has already been upheld, it becomes mandatory for the court to immediately issue the suspension pursuant to Sec. 13 of RA (Republic Act) No. 3019,” the court said, referring to the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The defense had argued that it was improper to suspend Paulate for the same case because he was suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman during investigation.
But the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division held that suspension in the administrative case would not bar the implementation of preventive suspension under RA 3019.
Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses penned the resolution, which was concurred in by Associate Justice Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta, who leads the Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division, and by Associate Justice Georgina Hidalgo. REINA C. TOLENTINO
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