BLACK SAND MINING

LINGAYEN– Fifth District Rep. Amado Espino Jr. said he expected the 90-day preventive suspension issued by the Sandiganbayan as a matter of legal procedure before the trial proper over the alleged illegal black sand mining in this coastal town begins.

This was the reaction of Mr. Espino to the five-page decision of the sixth division of the Sandiganbayan dated Sept. 7 penned by Associate Justice Rodolfo Ponferrada, chairperson, concurred by Associate Justices Oscar Herrera Jr and Karl Miranda.

The decision read “the prosecution’s motion to suspend the accused Pendente Lite is hereby granted and accused Amado Espino Jr is hereby directed to cease and desist from further performing and/or exercising the functions, duties and privileges of his position as congressman of the fifth district of Pangasinan, or any other position he may now or hereafter be holding effective immediately upon receipt hereof and continuing for a period of ninety (90) days.”

Cong. Espino clarified that the suspension “is not penal in character but merely a preventive measure before final judgment…; and a person under preventive suspension remains entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence since his culpability must still be established”.

Copy of the resolution was furnished the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the implementation of the suspension.

In his statement issued to the media. Mr. Espino said “And to the great dismay of those who orchestrated the filing of this purely fabricated, politically-motivated harassment case, purposely designed to influence the results of the last two elections in their favor, the people of Pangasinan who are living witnesses to the truth, and as proof of their independence and maturity, have consistently refused to be swayed by the dirty hand of politics, and gave me, and my son who is now Pangasinan Governor Amado “Pogi” Espino III overwhelming votes of confidence for me in May 2013, and for both of us in May 2016.

He said unfortunately, they have to suffer the adverse consequences of this dirty game called politics.

The administrative case against Rafael Baraan, former provincial administrator and Alvin Bigay, former Housing head who were both dismissed from government service following their inclusion in the black sand mining, is now with the Court of Appeals while the criminal cases against the three of them (including Espino), which led to this mandatory preventive suspension, are with the Sandiganbayan.

“But even as we insist on our innocence, the charges being pure fabrications and politically motivated, we have no choice but to go through this long and tedious judicial process to clear our names,” the congressman said.

He said they are nonetheless confident that eventually truth and justice will prevail. “It’s just a matter of time,” Espino said. (Tita Roces)

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