If protecting the lives of his constituents by equipping San Juan policemen with high-powered rifles to fight off armed robbers and stem the spike of criminality is wrong, then Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito says he is ready to go to jail for making such executive decision.
The senator aired this sentiment at the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division hearing on Monday. His case stemmed from his purchase of 20 high-powered rifles for the poorly-armed San Juan police force in 2008.
“I’m hoping, I’m praying for a fair and just trial,” Ejercito said. “I want to believe it’s [trial] based on merits. I know in my heart that I did not do wrong.”
The firearms being questioned by prosecutors were bought through a public bidding at a time when there were bank robberies and holdups in San Juan almost every day. Two policemen were killed in one of those heists.
“In San Juan, several were already killed because of robberies and two of our policemen were killed. So, we rushed the purchase of high-powered rifles to protect the lives of my constituents,” Ejercito said.
“If that is my fate, if they want me jailed, what I know is I protected the lives of my constituents at the time. I’d rather not add to the number of those getting killed at the time,” the senator said.
The senator said the 20 firearms bought for P2 million via public bidding when he was mayor are still being used by the San Juan police force.
“I’d rather suffer than allow other lives to be lost just like in 2008 when criminality was rampant in Metro Manila,” he added. Prosecutors are questioning Ejercito’s use of calamity funds to buy the firearms in 2008.
The Commission on Audit called the attention of the mayor that the fund cannot be used for that purpose. Subsequently, the municipal government passed a supplemental budget to cover the purchase of the firearms.
The purchase of firearms was made pursuant to Joint DBM-DILG Circular No. 2003-1 which allowed the use of the local calamity fund for man-made disasters resulting from terrorist or criminal acts.