DAVAO CITY (June 3) — The Sandiganbayan has ordered the 90-day suspension against former Mayor of San Jose, Camarines Sur, now provincial board member, Gilmar Pacamarra, former SB member Norman Bruzo and Roberto Primavera, and municipal accountant Imelda Caballero.
Pacamarra, Bruzo, Primavera and Caballero are facing trial for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for their official travel to Thailand last January 2008, without any valid travel authority. The t trip which cost Php 279,724.60.
In the Sandiganbayan Resolution, the anti-graft court explained that “Section 13 [of R.A. No. 3019] is so clear and explicit that there is hardly room for any extended court rationalization of the law. Section 13 unequivocally mandates the suspension of a public official from office pending a criminal prosecution under R.A. No. 3019 or Title 7, Book II of the Revised Penal Code or for any offense involving public funds or property or fraud on government.”-Harold V. Pontongan/NewsLine.ph