SANDIGANBAYAN TRIAL ORDERED

OUTGOING Governor Amado Espino Jr. expressed confidence he and his colleagues will eventually be acquitted by the Sandiganbayan on the graft cases filed against them in connection with the alleged illegal black sand mining on the shores of the Lingayen Gulf.

Interviewed by newsmen on Tuesday, a day after he and his co-accused former Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan and former Provincial Housing and Urban Development Office chief Alvin Bigay posted  their respective bails before the  Sixth Division of the Sandiganbayan, the governor said,: “Yes, we are sure of that (acquittal). Wala naman kaming ginawa dyan“.

Espino posted P60,000 bail bond for two counts of violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

His co-accused Baraan and Bigay also posted the same amount.

Espino, Baraan and Bigay posted bail a few hours after the Sixth Division issued a ruling finding sufficient grounds to hold them on trial and to order their arrest.

Also ordered arrested were 11 private individuals from mining companies Alexandra Mining and Oil Ventures Inc. and Xypher Builders Inc.

“After going over the Information in this case and evaluating the Joint Resolution dated 28 February 2014 of the Office of the Ombudsman, the evidence in support thereof, and the records of the preliminary investigation attached thereto, the Court finds that sufficient grounds exist for the finding of probable cause and for the issuance of warrants of arrest against accused-movants and the rest of the accused,” the Sixth Division said in its ruling.

“They said we earned P10.6 million from it, but how could that be when Pangasinan was a consistent awardee in coastal resources management.,” Gov. Espino told newsmen in Pilipino.

He pointed out that the cases were filed in 2012 or four years ago and it was only in 2015 before the election that it was elevated to the Sandiganbayan.

The governor said he lamented that his opponents raised it an issue against during the campaign but fortunately, he said the people of Pangasinan did not believe it and instead gave him and his son and namesake Amado “Pogi” Espino III “a resounding victory” in the last election.

Messrs. Espino, Baraan and Bigay filed their joint motion on March 15 asking for the dismissal of the cases for supposed lack of probable cause and strong evidence but the Sixth Division of Sandiganbayan dismissed it, saying these “are matters of defense that are best addressed during the trial of theses cases.”

He assured his constituents not to worry as he is confident he and his colleagues will eventually be exonerated of the charge, and thanked them for their support during the election.

At the same time, Mr. Espino revealed he has joined the PDP Laban, the party of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, explaining that in the last election he and his group joined the Aksyon Demokratiko because their opponents exerted efforts barring them from joining other parties.

He founded the Partido na Pangasinan (PnP) of which he is the chairman and Second District Leopoldo Bataoil as president but the PnP has yet to be registered and accredited by the Commission on Elections. (Leonardo Micua)

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