Sandiganbayan OKs Acharon’s travel to Canada

By Czarina Nicole Ong

The Sandiganbayan Seventh Division has allowed South Cotabato Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. to travel to Toronto, Canada from June 20 to July 11, 2018 to attend the Rotary International Convention and visit a family friend.

(MANILA BULLETIN)

In his travel motion, Acharon told the court that he will first stay at Hotel Hilton Garden Inn, Toronto Downtown which is situated at No. 92, Peter Street, MV5 265 Toronto, Canada then at the house of his family friend, Esperidion Paraz, which is located at Scarborough, Ontario.

He said he has no intention whatsoever to evade prosecution, and he has no intention of abandoning the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan.

Despite the objection of the prosecution, the anti-graft court allowed him to go. The court imposed the usual conditions, stressing that his itinerary of travel shall cover only Toronto, Canada.

At the same time, the travel bond posted by him in the amount of P30,000 on March 19, 2014 shall be maintained to guarantee his faithful compliance with the terms and conditions of the court.

“Any material misrepresentation made in his Motion to Travel shall be punished as contempt of this Court and shall be dealt with accordingly,” the court stated in its resolution.

Acharon is facing a graft charge before the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division in connection with the anomalous cash advances amounting to P1,500,000 and P1,000,000 on May 25, 2006, which was reportedly for the “Pagana Dinner Show and Tambayayong Festival” in Los Angeles, California from June 9 to 16, 2006.

According to his rap sheet, Acharon knew fully well that the amount was intended for 37 individuals, but only 17 were able to participate. As a result, Acharon caused undue injury to the government in the said amount. He was still the mayor of General Santos City when that happened.

Acharon was earlier acquitted by the same division in relation to the unauthorized travel of city councilors for the same festival. Acharon was accused together with city councilors Jose Orlando Acharon and Minda Atendido for conspiring with one another with the issuance of the travel order for their trip to Los Angeles even though their request for travel was in violation of a memorandum from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).