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[av_heading heading=’Did Treñas violate Sandigan suspension?’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY GLENDA TAYONA
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Thursday, March 15, 2018
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ILOILO City – Can a congressman under preventive suspension still report to his office and hold meetings with his constituents there?
Apparently not, if Councilor Plaridel Nava were to be believed.
In a letter to the Office of the Ombudsman, Nava accused Cong. Jerry Treñas – currently serving a 90-day preventive suspension ordered by the Sandiganbayan for a graft charge – of defying the anti-graft court.
Worse, according to Nava, Treñas was using his office for personal gain, citing the March 2 meeting of the congressman with at least 170 barangay captains and a number of his political leaders.
Treñas discussed his 2019 mid-term election plan with them, said Nava.
“Clearly, Congressman Treñas (while suspended in office) utilized a government office, its facilities, manpower and resources to promote his self-serving political ambition,” said Nava.
The city councilor urged the Office of the Ombudsman to “take appropriate legal action against the abusive congressman, including but not limited to the filing of the petition/motion with the Sandiganbayan to cite him in contempt for blatantly violating his preventive suspension order.”
Nava stressed that the suspension order on Treñas was “validly implemented by the Speaker of the House and in fact a caretaker in the person of Cong. Arthur Defensor Jr. (of Iloilo province’s 3rd district) was duly designated (for the lone district of Iloilo).”
Treñas denied violating the Sandiganbayan’s preventive suspension order and insisted he was not using his office for personal gain.
“Ang akon office is public…I do not see any reason for any complaint sa pag atubang sa mga constituents ta. Kon may preventive suspension kita, waay man kita gina-suspend sa pag istorya sa pumoluyo ta sa isa ka public office,” said Treñas.
He also stressed that while he may be suspended, he is still the duly elected congressman of Iloilo City.
“Ang opisina sang congressman is a public office. Bisan sin-o pwede mag kadto,” said Treñas.
He, however, made it clear that due to his suspension, he has “refrained from any legislative work.”
Treñas denied discussing politics with his constituents in his office despite an earlier statement confirming that he talked to barangay captains in his office on March 2 about the 2019 elections and their desire for him to run for mayor.
In January, te Sandiganbayan suspended Treñas for 90 days as the graft charge filed against him in connection with the construction of the Iloilo Press Club (IPC) building undergoes litigation.
That Treñas was charged with violation of Republic Act (RA) 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, made his preventive suspension “mandatory,” a resolution from the anti-graft court’s Seventh Division stated.
The congressman was accused of giving “unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference” for releasing P500,000 for the construction of the IPC building when he was still the mayor of Iloilo City.
The Sandiganbayan directed House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to enforce the suspension.
According to the case information, Treñas signed a memorandum of agreement with the IPC for the construction of the latter’s building in Barangay San Pedro, Molo, Iloilo City.
His act of coursing the money to the IPC from December 2003 to January 2004 allegedly violated Commission on Audit (COA) rules since the IPC was not one of the nongovernment organizations accredited by the city government.
The fund was sourced from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of Sen. Loren Legarda.
“The preventive suspension is mandatory in character pending a criminal prosecution to prevent the accused from intimidating or influencing witnesses against him,” according to the Sandiganbayan.
In November 2017, Treñas’ legal counsel denied irregularity in the release of the funds for the construction of the IPC building.
JJ Justiniano stressed the congressman was not remiss in releasing the fund to the IPC.
“The PDAF of a congressman or senator may be coursed through the local government. There was nothing wrong with that,” the lawyer said, adding that Treñas did not violate any COA policy. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”/PN
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