The Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division has ordered the suspension of Quezon City councillor Roderick Paulate for a period of 90 days over his graft and falsification charges.
“Wherefore, premises considered, accused Roderick Mendenilla Paulate is hereby ordered suspended from office and the said accused is directed to cease and desist from further performing and/or exercising the functions, duties and privilege of his position as member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Quezon City or any other government position he may now or thereafter be holding, effective upon notice hereof and to continue for a period of 90 days,” the anti-graft court said in its eight-page decision.
Paulate and liaison officer Vicente Bajamunde are out on bail amid graft and falsification cases in connection with 30 allegedly “fictitious job contractors” in 2010, who earned P1.109mn from July to November 2010.
Paulate had argued that the reversal by the Court of Appeals of the Ombudsman’s judgment of dismissal in the administrative case proved that there was insufficient evidence against him.
But the Sandiganbayan said an administrative case filed before the Office of the Ombudsman and the criminal case before the court were separate and distinct from each other.
“Therefore, the criminal case may proceed independently of the administrative proceedings,” it said.
The court also ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government to implement the preventive suspension order.
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