B’gay execs have strong case vs Braganza – lawyer

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines – It is “wishful thinking” for Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza to say that no plunder case was filed against him.

Thus said lawyer Abraham Espejo in a press conference here last Tuesday to debunk Braganza’s earlier statement that contrary to reports, no plunder case, just a request for investigation, was filed against him by 15 incumbent and former barangay heads at the Office of the Ombudsman.

“They might not be reading it. It’s on page 24,” Espejo, the barangay leaders’ legal counsel, said in Filipino. “They had completely failed to read the essence of this complaint against them… our complaint is backed up by so thick an evidence.”

Espejo said the P4.7-billion, 330-page plunder case against Braganza is also based on Commission on Audit reports.

He said the case against Braganza is serious, adding that the four-page plunder complaint filed against Gov. Amado Espino Jr. by Bugallon town Mayor Rodrigo Orduña is only “paperweight” compared to Braganza’s that is “heavyweight.”

Orduña alleged that Espino received millions of pesos in jueteng payola, while Braganza, along with 15 others, were accused of illegal fund expenditures. 

“So his claim that there’s no plunder case against him is wishful thinking; it’s probably a result of a state of denial,” Espejo said.

Sought for comment, Braganza said, “As far as I know, we have yet to receive an official copy of the supposed plunder case filed against me.”

“What’s new about their statements? They are showing the same documents. According to my lawyer, there is no plunder case. It’s more of a request for the Ombudsman to have me investigated (based on their allegations),” he said.