Court ends Graftwatch battle vs Capitol's P100 M loan
The legal battle versus the controversial P100 million Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) loan of the Iloilo Provincial Government is over. Or so, it seems with the dismissal and denial of the last two cases filed against the planned loan, one coming from the Court of Appeals (CA) and the other, in a local Court here.
As such, Capitol scored a double victory over the objections raised by the People's Graftwatch of Iloilo.
In a three-page Order, Judge Antonio Natino of Branch 26, 6th RTC moved to dismiss the injunction with prayer for temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction filed by former Judge and now Graftwatch official, Virgilio Sindico.
Judge Natino in resolving the case in favor of the Capitol based his decision on Sindico's supposed blunder in the fact presented to Court. Particular of the matter addressed was the verification and certification of non-forum shopping where not disclosed was an earlier Civil Case with its corresponding decision.
To the mind of the Court, this slip-up was tantamount to false certification thus sufficient to warrant liability on Sindico's part and the dismissal of his complaint.
Docketed as Civil Case No. 06-28921, Judge Natino's Order sealed the fate of any objections against the P100 million loan intended to purchase heavy equipment.
The Graftwatch's objection came to view after the initial 'fight' before the Iloilo Sanggunian Panlalawigan (SP). Third District Board Member Manny Gallar took the cudgels for the oppositors in raising questions on the regularity, legality and propriety of the LBP loan.
Gallar in his objection mainly focused on the process employed to secure the loan alongside his queries as to why the deal allegedly underwent short-cuts just to seek SP approval.
The objections reached Congress with a resolution then passed by Second District Representative Judy Syjuco to hold in abeyance the loan approval pending the resolution of the case before the Office of the Ombudsman and the local Courts.