CEBU, Philippines - Businessman Jonathan Guardo posted a P40,000 for his temporary freedom yesterday following his arrest late Thursday afternoon for alleged malversation of public funds.
Judge Soliver C. Peras ordered the release of Guardo from the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
NBI agents arrested Guardo while he was playing tennis at the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club in Pardo while his family was also at the clubhouse for a gathering.
The warrant of arrest was issued by Judge Cicero D. Jurado, Jr. of the Regional Trial Court, National Capital Judicial Region Branch 11 in Manila.
This stemmed from a complaint filed by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) after Guardo failed to account for P10 million that was released to him to fund Cebu’s co-hosting of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games in December 2005.
Guardo told The Freeman, “ako man jud ni gitutukan ang case, May 30 wala pa ma raffle ang case, the warrant of arrest was issued May 27, my lawyer said to me.”
Guardo believes that there is a political twist to this case.
He ran for congressman of the South District in the May 2010 elections against Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who won the race by a landslide.
“Ako naka move-on nako og balik negosyo og nanghinaut unta ko na ang uban diha maka move on nasad,” Guardo said referring to congressman-elect Osmeña although not mentioning his name.
Tinago barangay councilman Joel Garganera, who was with Guardo when the businessman was arrested said, “nasubo siya kay nagfamily gathering sila sa Alta Vista but in fairness respectful ang nagdakop niya but my question was about the time lang ngano hapon naman?”
Not Me
Osmeña said that he has no hand in the arrest of Guardo and had in fact tried to help by advising his former sports consultant to come up with the liquidation of expenses of the funds given by the PSC.
Osmeña was referring to the statement of that there was an “invisible hand” that facilitated for his arrest.
The mayor said it might be true that there was an invisible hand that helped Guardo’s arrest, and it is the hand of God that really want justice for the people’s money that was malversed by Guardo because he failed to give proper accounting of the government funds that was entrusted to him.
Osmeña said he already told Guardo more than a dozen times to come up with the liquidation even before the case was elevated to the court.
“If you can’t trust him with only P10 million that was entrusted to him by the Philippine Sports Commission, how much more if he will be given P70 million every year of pork barrel funds,” Osmeña said.
Guardo, who was then chairman of the Cebu City Sports Commission, was also chairman of the Cebu SEA Games Organizing Committee.
The money from the PSC was supposed to be used for the improvement of the sports facilities in Cebu City, Mandaue City and Danao City that served as one of the satellite venues for five events of the biennial sports meet.
The Commission on Audit asked Guardo to liquidate his expenses, but was only able to account for P 8 million, Osmeña said.
Then of the P8 million liquidation report made by Guardo, the Commission on Audit said only P700,000 of the total expenditures liquidated was reportedly spent in accordance with the intended purpose.
Guardo reiterated that he did pocket even a single centavo of the funds entrusted to him and spent the money for the operation of the SEA Games in Cebu. – with Rene U. Borromeo/NLQ (FREEMAN NEWS)