The Sandiganbayan’s Sixth Division has allowed Davao Del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. to travel to Germany for medical treatment from June 23 to July 10 this year.
Floirendo’s lawyers said the congressman is scheduled to undergo a medical treatment at Ticeba, a company in Germany, with a side trip to Hong Kong.
Based on the itinerary Floirendo submitted to the anti-graft graft court, he is leaving June 23 for Hong Kong, where he will stay for three days. He will then fly to Frankfurt for the medical treatment.
Floirendo noted in his medical report submitted to the court that he has a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and “injuries in his ribs from a helicopter crash incident.”
Earlier, the Ombudsman asked the Sandiganbayan to suspend Floirendo while the trial of the graft case filed against him by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez is ongoing.
Ombudsman prosecutors cited Section 13 of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, which mandates the suspension of a public official facing trial.
Alvarez accused Floirendo of irregularities in connection with the Consolidated Joint Venture Agreement between Tagum Agricultural Development Authority or Tadeco, where Floirendo's family is a major stockholder, and its subsidiary Anflo Management and Investment Corp. for the lease of land in the Davao Penal Colony to be used as a banana plantation.
The Consolidated JVA was executed in 1979 which extended the period of lease for 25 years and renewed in May 2003, when Florendo is already a congressman.