Cenro exec charged with graft seeks to defer his arraignment

CEBU, Philippines - An official of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office who was charged with graft for allowing the transport of misdeclared forest products has asked the court to defer his arraignment pending his motion for reinvestigation before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Cenro officer Richard Abella yesterday asked Regional Trial Court Soliver Peras to defer his arraignment in the interest of justice and fair play.

Abella said he has filed a motion for reinvestigation with the anti-graft office on the finding of probable cause against him. He was charged with Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act for issuing clearance to transport forest products to two shippers despite the products were misdeclared in the bill of lading.

According to Abella, should the court proceed with his arraignment on August 10 without waiting for the resolution of his motion for reinvestigation, his constitutional right to due process will be violated.

Abella said that the case was already dismissed in 2004 but the Ombudsman-Manila allegedly reopened the case.

It was graft investigator Portia Suson who recommended the filing of the case against Abella and forester Nolito Lapinig.

Suson found probable cause to indict Abella and Lapinig for releasing the 17,624.20 board feet of lumber valued at P599,222.80 despite knowing that the products were declared as assorted flour in the bill of lading.

Abella also allowed the release of 15,000 linear meters of unsplit rattan poles valued at P265,000 despite knowing that these were misdeclared in the bill of lading as corn grains.

The anti-graft office in the Visayas dismissed the case for insufficiency of evidence but the Ombudsman in Manila reversed the dismissal. — (FREEMAN)