Lawyers enter not guilty plea for MJ

MIAMI, Florida — Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez spent his 56th birthday in a federal jail here and made his first appearance in court Monday following his arrival in the United States.

Jimenez, dressed in an olive jail uniform, spoke only to identify himself during a brief hearing before US Magistrate Ted Bandstra of the US District Court of South Florida. Lawyers for Jimenez are scheduled to request his release on bond today.

The Manila legislator is to be arraigned on Jan. 13. But two of his congressional colleagues said Jimenez’s lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf during his court appearance.

Jimenez, who turned 56 yesterday, answered an indictment produced by a US task force investigating money illegally funneled to leading Democrats.

The US government accused Jimenez of using corporate money to reimburse employees for illegal donations to President Bill Clinton and other candidates. Donors were employees of Future Tech International Inc., a Miami computer parts distribution business owned by Jimenez, and Mark Vision Computer, another Miami company owned by a relative.

Jimenez was accused of illegally routing $50,000 to the Democratic National Committee and $33,500 in donations to campaign committees.

The indictment also charged Jimenez with corporate fraud and tax evasion linked to personal business dealings unrelated to the fund-raising allegations. He is accused of defrauding the IRS by taking business deductions for personal expenses and political contributions made with money from Future Tech.

From 1994 to 1996, the money went to Clinton, US Sens. Edward Kennedy and Robert Torricelli, US Senate candidates Roger Bedford in Alabama and Thomas Strickland in Colorado, and US House candidate Ann Henry in Arkansas, the indictment said.

Jimenez is barred from legally contributing to American political campaigns because he is a citizen of the Philippines.

During the hearing Monday, Jimenez attorney Abbe Lowell asked prosecutors to release records of a medical examination conducted on the congressman following his arrival at Miami International Airport on Sunday. Lowell later declined comment, reports said.

Jimenez arrived Sunday in Miami following a stopover in Guam. He was being held at the Federal Detention Center in Miami.

Two of Jimenez’s colleagues, Bulacan Rep. Willie Buyson Villarama and Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, however, said the actual arraignment took place 1:30 p.m. Monday (Miami time).

Pichay and Villarama have traveled to Miami to lend moral support to Jimenez.

According to the two Filipino legislators, the arraignment took only 15 minutes.

Jimenez’s American lawyers entered a plea of not guilty when he was arraigned.

A Philippine diplomatic officer based in Washington D.C., Consul Hernry Bensuerto also attended the arraignment but media coverage of the event was banned.

A bail hearing is set for Tuesday (Miami time) on the petition made by Jimenez’s lawyers on a $100,000 bail, Villarama and Pichay told Manila-based reporters by telephone.

Jimenez’s lawyers are also contending their client has substantial ties to the US with family members in South Florida and northern Virginia and is not a risk to flee. Federal prosecutors are expected to oppose his release.

Pichay said he and Villarama are expected to make a comment about their colleague during the bail hearing.

"I will tell the judge that MJ is no flight risk. In fact, he voluntarily submitted himself to the jurisdiction of the court by returning to Miami on his own volition," Pichay told The STAR.

Besides, he said Jimenez has nowhere to go. "He (Jimenez) cannot go back to the Philippines because he will be arrested."

"He wants to resolve this problem because he wants to go back to the Philippines," Pichay added. "He represents 700,000 voters."

It was the first time on Monday that Pichay and Villarama saw their accused colleague since they got separated from him last Friday morning in Guam, their first stopover before the long haul to Florida.

They both complained about the way Jimenez has been treated since he traveled to the US to answer the indictment.

Escorts from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) diverted Jimenez to Saipan without informing the two Filipino lawmakers.

Learning of the "diversion," other Filipino congressmen accused the FBI of "kidnapping" their colleague.

Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos has filed a resolution seeking to clarify procedures that should be followed in cases where an extraditable person like Jimenez, chooses to voluntarily return to the country seeking his extradition.

Marcos said she was disturbed by reports that Jimenez’s rights were violated. -With reports from Jess Diaz