Congressman Salvador 'Doy' Leachon faces graft charges over alleged irregularities committed when he was mayor of Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro
MANILA, Philippines – The anti-graft court has ordered the 90-day preventive suspension of Oriental Mindoro 1st District Representative Paulino Salvador "Doy" Leachon over a graft case filed when he was still mayor of Calapan City.
Leachon was charged with graft for allegedly allowing the delivery of sand to a property owned by private respondent Juan Vinas using 5 city-owned dump trucks and their drivers without the corresponding payments.
State prosecutors atttempted to withdraw the case in 2013, but the Sandiganbayan proceeded with it after finding probable cause to indict Leachon and 3 others.
Leachon's co-accused, Calapan City engineer Benjamin Acedera, has also been ordered suspended.
Leachon had argued that the Sandiganbayan should put the suspension order on hold pending the final decision of the Supreme Court on his petition for certiorari.
In his petition before the High Court, Leachon said the prosecution's move to withdraw the case placed the Sandiganbayan's finding of probable cause and the validity of the charge in question.
The Sandiganbayan Fourth Division, however, "stressed" that the SC has yet to issue an injunctive writ or a temporary restraining order. It also noted that the SC earlier denied Leachon's petition for certiorari, upholding the Sandiganbayan's decision to reject the prosecution's motion.
Leachon, Acedera, barangay captain Ernesto Vinas, and Juan Vinas were charged for allowing the use of city-owned dump trucks to deliver sand to the property of Juan Vinas without paying for them.
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