82-year-old ex-gov nabbed over graft raps
EX-Sorsogon Governor Raul Lee has been arrested by agents of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on the strength of a warrant of arrest for graft and corrupt practices issued by the Sandiganbayan, PNP-CIDG director, Brigadier General Romeo M. Caramat Jr. said on Friday.
However, the question is would the aging ex-governor be made to serve his 12 years to as much as 40 years of jail term, which means he would be over 100 years old by that time.
The 82-year-old former Sorsogon governor was placed under arrest inside the Sorsogon Provincial Hospital in Sorsogon City on the basis of a warrant for violation of Section 3 of Republic Act No. 3019 issued by Associate Justice Efren dela Cruz, chairperson of the First Division of Sandiganbayan in Quezon City, last January 26, the official said.
Members of the CIDG Sorsogon Field Unit, joined by officers from the local police force, served the warrant of arrest against the accused, who was duly informed of his constitutional rights and the Miranda Doctrine, the PNP-CIDG director said.
Section 3 of RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act penalizes any person who causes any undue injury to any party, including the government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official, administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality or evident bad faith.
In March 2021, the Sandiganbayan convicted the ex-governor of two counts of graft over the irregular purchase of computers, software and other equipment in 2005 and sentenced him to 12 years in prison, apart from barring him from holding public office.
The court said it was convinced that the circumstances of the case showed that Lee was guilty of manifest partiality or gross inexcusable negligence when he entered into a joint venture agreement and memorandum of agreement with the contractor, despite the lack of recommendation from the Bids and Awards Committee.
The decision was written by Associate Justice Kevin Narce Vivero.
In August 2017, the Sandiganbayan also convicted Lee of graft in connection with the P723 million fertilizer fund scam. In that year, the Sandiganbayan’s First Division sentenced Lee to 24 to 40 years in prison.
