MJ a no-show at hearing on $2-M extortion case vs Nani

Former Manila congressman Mark Jimenez snubbed another hearing at the Sandiganbayan on the $2-million extortion case he had filed against former Justice Secretary Hernando “Nani” Perez, making defense lawyers confident of winning the case.

Jimenez, who already withdrawn his complaint against Perez and three others before the Office of the Ombudsman in October last year, did not appear in yesterday’s proceedings, despite earlier warnings from the anti-graft court of possible dismissal of the case due to his absence as main complainant.

Perez’s lawyer, Jesus Santos, said Jimenez’s persistent absence in hearings only showed that he had “already lost interest in the case.”

“This case has long been dead – since Mr. Jimenez filed an affidavit of desistance and withdrew his complaint. It’s up to the Sandiganbayan to look into that,” Santos told reporters after the 2 p.m. hearing at the second division of the anti-graft court.

He believes criminal charges against Perez are being pursued only as “part of dirty politics.”

In the hearing last May 23, Second Division Chairman Associate Justice Edilberto Sandoval told prosecutors to have Jimenez appear before the court or the case would be dismissed. The court ruled to move the pre-trial on the charges to Sept. 18.   – Edu Punay