Senator Ejercito suspended over firearms deal
THE SANDIGANBAYAN Fifth Division has ordered the suspension of Senator Joseph Victor “JV” G. Ejercito for 90 days, together with three other San Juan City officials in connection with a firearms deal bankrolled by the city’s calamity funds in 2008.
“Accused Joseph Victor G. Ejercito is hereby suspended from his position as Senator of the Republic of the Philippines, and from any other public office he may now hereafter be holding for a period of ninety ( 90) days from the receipt of this resolution, unless a motion for reconsideration is seasonably filed,” read the resolution promulgated on Monday.
Also ordered suspended for 90 days are City Administrator Ranulfo B. Dacalos, City Legal Officer Romualdo C. De Los Santos and Lorenzana C. Ching, special assistant at the Mayor’s documentation and compliance office.
Mr. Ejercito had argued in his motion that he is holding an “important” position in the government, and his suspension would stall his projects. On the other hand, the suspension of the city officials “would cause a standstill in the services of the city to the detriment of the San Juan City residents.”
However, the anti- graft court said that the “fear of all the accused is unlikely.”
The court said that “[ w] hile Sen. Ejercito’s priorities and advocacies are education, job creation and protection of workers, and peace and prosperity in Mindanao, there will still remain twenty- three remaining Senators of the Republic of the Philippines who can meet as such.”
It added that San Juan City Mayor Guia G. Gomez “will surely know how to deal with the temporary absence of Dacalos, De Los Santos and Ching.”
The case stemmed from a graft charge filed by the Ombudsman after finding that the city council passed a city ordinance to have the calamity funds used in the procurement of high- powered firearms. Mr. Ejercito was city mayor at the time.
The senator, who still attended yesterday’s Senate session, said he is “truly saddened” by the anti- graft court’s ruling, adding that he felt it was his duty to approve the deal “as the crime situation had simply gotten out of hand.”
“Our police force needed more than moral support as it urgently needed firepower against criminals who virtually held the city,” Mr. Ejercito said in a statement.