Syjuco posts bail in graft case

ILOILO – Even before police officers got a chance to serve him his arrest warrant, former Iloilo socond district congressman Augusto Syjuco managed to post P90,000 bail for a graft case filed against him before the Sandiganbayan.

Syjuco, former director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), is facing six counts for violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Associate Justice Roland Jurado of the Sandiganbayan’s 5th Division ordered his arrest last Aug. 27.

Police officers of Sta. Barbara town tried to serve the arrest warrant at Syjuco’s house on Thursday afternoon but failed.

Hours later, a staffer of Syjuco went to the police station and presented a release order showing that the former congressman had posted P90,000 bail.

The Sandiganbayan initially set P180,000 bail for all six counts, but Syjuco convinced the anti-graft court to slash it to half.

Syjuco and 10 others were charged with graft last May. Syjuco’s co-accused include former Tesda deputy director general Rogelio Peyuan; directors IV Antonio del Rosario, Ernesto Beltran and Teodoro Sanico; Region 4 director Buen Mondejar; lawyer Marjorie Docdocil; chief administrative officer Juanito Belda; administrative officer Maximiano Montemayor; senior administrative assistant I Francisco Fang; and private respondent Vicente Roxas, president and chairman of V.G. Roxas Co. Inc.

The case stemmed from alleged irregularities in various projects undertaken in 2007 when Syjuco headed Tesda during the incumbency of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

For instance, training equipment and testing tools under Tesda’s ladderized education program were found allegedly substandard and overpriced by P60,964,195.38 or 20.18 percent of the total procurement cost of P302,109,054.53. President Aquino mentioned this in his recent State of the Nation Address.