THE Sandiganbayan on Tuesday ordered Senator JV Ejercito suspended for 90 days for allegedly diverting P2.1 million from San Juan City’s calamity fund to buy high-powered firearms for its police department when he was mayor.
The anti-graft court’s Fifth Division upheld the motion of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to suspend Ejercito while he faces trial for graft.
Ejercito’s father, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, defended his son, saying Ejercito merely gave priority to the purchase of firearms for the San Juan City police to boost peace and order in the city.
“The money came from the calamity fund. It was diverted by JV for the purchase of the firearms because the police, at that time, were short of firearms,” Estrada said.
He said he also used money from the calamity fund for urgent projects when he was mayor of San Juan.
The anti-graft court also suspended for 90 days Ejercito’s co-accused, budget officer Lorenza Ching, treasurer Rosalinda Marasigan, engineer Danilo Mercado, city administrator Ranulfo Dacalos, and lawyer Romualdo delos Santos.
Ejercito pleaded not guilty to the charge in April this year and posted a 30,000-peso bail for his temporary liberty.
He earlier said he was confident he would hurdle the case, and that a full-blown trial would be a welcome development.