Sandigan junks plea of Palawan town mayor

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan’s First Division has junked a motion seeking to dismiss charges against a town mayor in Palawan for allegedly violating the Indigenous Peoples Right Act.

In a ruling penned by Associate Justice Rodolfo Ponferrada, the anti-graft court said the trial of Mayor Shuaib Astami of Balabac town should proceed.

The Sandiganbayan even scheduled his arraignment on Jan. 21 on charges that he granted a marine lease agreement to a private company, Ecofarm Systems and Resources Inc., on Feb. 22, 2000 without prior certification from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

The agreement leased the municipal waters and marine area of Balabac to cultivate bivalve oysters and other similar aquatic resources for pearl culture and other related uses.

Associate Justices Norberto Geraldez and Napoleon Inoturan concurred with the ruling denying Astami’s motion to quash the case against him.

The Sandiganbayan said the pleading is without merit and “hypothetically admits the facts alleged in the information which clearly shows a violation of the Section 59 of Republic Act 8371.”