Sandiganbayan allows Gwen to leave country

CEBU, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan Second Division has granted the request of Cebu Third District Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia to travel to the United States.

Last March, Garcia asked the graft court to travel to the US between April 8 to 30 to visit her daughter, Carissa Garcia Codilla, and two granddaughters. She said she has not seen her daughter and granddaughter for the past two years.

The Ombudsman’s Office of the Special Prosecutor has opposed the request and asked that the request be denied but the court said Garcia’s request is valid.

Garcia is currently facing graft charges before the Sandiganbayan in relation to the P100 million purchase of a 249,246 square-meter land in 2008 when she was still governor of Cebu. The land purchase became controversial because the land was found to be mostly submerged in seawater.

Even with the court’s permission, the travel would be subject to certain conditions and Garcia also needs to pay a cash bond.

Garcia’s daughter, Atty. Christina Garcia-Frasco, said prosecutors no longer objected to the court’s decision. – (FREEMAN)