Arraignment for graft of Tarlac ‘congtractor’ deferred

MANILA, Philippines — The arraignment of Tarlac Rep. Noel Rivera has been deferred after he filed several motions questioning the graft charges filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Rivera appeared before the Sandiganbayan yesterday, but the arraignment was deferred to Aug. 18 pending resolution of his appeals.

Aside from a motion to quash the information, Rivera asked that the nine graft cases filed against him be consolidated.

The charges were earlier distributed to several divisions of the anti-graft court.

Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith Econg scolded Rivera for wearing inappropriate attire, saying the lawmaker did not respect the court.

Rivera was wearing a round-neck shirt and a pair of jeans when he appeared at the Sandiganbayan yesterday.

On Monday, Rivera posted bail of P90,000 for each of the nine charges in connection with infrastructure projects in his district.

Rivera, tagged as a “cong-tractor,” was accused of having financial or pecuniary interest in government contracts and transactions.

A “congtractor” refers to a congressman who owns companies that engage in government contracts.

Based on the complaint, Rivera’s company, 3-G Construction and Development Corp., bagged P600 million worth of contracts from the government.

Rivera has denied the accusation.