MANILA — The Sandiganbayan has allowed Muntinlupa City Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon to travel to Bali, Indonesia from Sept. 19-25, 2018.
Over the objection of the prosecution, the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division granted the instant motion of Biazon on Sept. 5, 2018 during the hearing of the motion.
In granting Biazon’s motion, the Sandiganbayan imposed the following conditions:
- His travel itinerary shall cover only Bali, Indonesia and he shall leave not earlier than Sept. 19, 2018 and shall be back in the Philippines not later than Sept. 25, 2018.
- He shall present himself in person to the Division Clerk of Court, together with his passport and photocopies of the pages thereof indicating the stamp of his departure from, and entry or arrival in the Philippines, the photocopies to be authenticated by the Division Clerk of Court after a comparison with the original thereof, and to submit to the Court a written formal compliance with the terms and conditions of this Resolution within 15 days of his expected date of return within five days after accused’s return to the Philippines.
- If for whatever reason he shall not be able to undertake the travel abroad as authorized, Biazon shall, within five days from his expected date of return had he undertaken the same, personally present himself to the Division Clerk of Court, together with photocopies of the pertinent pages of his passport bearing no stamp of departure from or entry into the Philippines during the relevant period.
- The court said any material misrepresentation made in his motion to travel shall be punished and dealt with accordingly and any violation of the terms and conditions of the court shall be sufficient ground for the forfeiture of his travel bond as well as to cause the issuance of a warrant for his arrest.
In his urgent motion for authority to travel abroad, Biazon asked the Sandiganbayan that he be allowed to travel to Bali, Indonesia from Sept. 19-25, 2018.
During the said dates, he will be staying at Maison Aurelia Sanue, Bali, Indonesia and from Sept. 23-25, 2018, he will be staying at Nyaman Villas Bali, Indonesia.
In May 2016, the Sandiganbayan issued a hold departure order (HDO) against Biazon to prevent him from leaving the country unless there is a prior written approval from the court.
The HDO was issued in connection with his cases of graft, malversation of public funds and direct bribery over his alleged involvement in the pork barrel fund scam.
Biazon is accused of allocating PHP3 million of his Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel in 2007 to one of the bogus foundations linked with businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles in exchange for PHP1.95 million worth of kickbacks.
He denied having received alleged kickbacks as a result of the transactions entered into by any government agency with non-government organizations that were alleged operated by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.
Napoles is the alleged “brains” behind the PHP10-billion pork barrel and the PHP900-million Malampaya fund scams. (Perfecto Raymundo, Jr./PNA)
