Sandiganbayan suspends Jojo Ang for 90 days
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The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division has ordered the 90-day preventive suspension of Uswag Ilonggo Party-list Rep. James “Jojo” Ang Jr. while he faces graft charges over his alleged financial interest in a construction firm that secured government contracts.
In a resolution dated 21 September, the anti-graft court said preventive suspension becomes mandatory under Section 13 of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, once the legal requirements are met.
“The court trying a case has neither discretion nor duty to determine whether preventive suspension is required to prevent the accused using his [or her] office to intimidate witnesses or frustrate his [or her] prosecution or continue committing malfeasance in office,” the court said.
“The law does not require the court to determine whether the accused is likely to escape or evade the jurisdiction of the court,” it added.
The Sixth Division said Ang is a sitting member of the House of Representatives and that the informations filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman remained valid after the court denied his motion to quash. Ang subsequently pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“Any remaining objection to the validity of the Informations has been deemed waived,” the court said.
The Sandiganbayan directed the Speaker of the House of Representatives to inform the court of the actions taken to implement the suspension.
Ang’s suspension will run for 90 days from receipt of the resolution.
“The suspension of accused Ang shall be lifted upon the expiration of the 90-day period from the implementation of this Resolution,” the court said.
The Sixth Division handles two of the 14 graft cases filed against Ang. Other cases are pending before separate divisions of the Sandiganbayan.
The Ombudsman has accused Ang of maintaining a financial interest in a construction company that obtained around P214 million worth of Department of Public Works and Highways contracts while he was serving in Congress. The allegations remain subject to trial, and Ang has pleaded not guilty.
