Philippine police arrest fugitive ex-lawmaker

By John Constantine G Cordon/Manila

A former representative of Zamboanga del Norte province has been ordered to be sent to prison after hiding for eight years under the radar of the police, following his conviction of graft charge in 2004.

The Sandiganbayan ordered former Rep. Crescente Llorente Jr of Zamboanga del Norte to be lodged in the new Bilibid prison in Muntinlupa City, after police finally arrested him in his home in Sindangan town.

Llorente was for a while at the Sandiganbayan on Wednesday before being admitted to the Philippine Heart Centre for hypertension and diabetes.

Now at 71, Llorente has been charged and convicted for a graft charge in 2004.

Complainant and businessman Godofredo Diamante charged him with ordering the illegal seizure of 930 wooden boxes from his store in 1993 when the former lawmaker was  the mayor of Sindangan.

He was convicted for graft in 2004. A year after he came under judicial scrutiny, the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division ordered him to appear before the court, after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction.

Llorente failed to show up, prompting the anti-graft court to issue a bench order.

At the hearing on Thursday, Sandiganbayan’s presiding justice and Third Division chairman Francisco Villaruz ordered Llorente to be lodged at the Bilibid prison.

Defence lawyer Jose Victor Aberilla pleaded to the magistrates to consider the case on humanitarian grounds because of health concerns of his client.

The division allowed Llorente to remain under hospital arrest but under the supervision of the Quezon City Police District.

“The court will ask the (Heart Centre) to issue updates on the physical condition of  Llorente. Upon certification by his attending physicians that he is fit to travel, he will be committed to (Bilibid) for his sentence,” Villaruz said in open court.

                              — Manila Times