Latest news with #Biazon
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Ruffy Biazon to appeal Sandiganbayan ruling on graft case
The team of reelected Mayor Ruffy Biazon said they will be filing a motion for reconsideration, seeking the anti-graft court to re-examine the ruling and citing his right to due process. Muntinlupa Mayor Rozzano Rufino 'Ruffy' Biazon over the weekend said he will appeal Sandiganbayan's ruling that found him, along with five other respondents including businesswoman Janet Napoles, guilty of graft in connection to the alleged misuse of the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) in 2007. In a statement issued by his spokesperson Atty. Mitchell-David Espiritu, the reelected mayor's team said they will be filing a motion for reconsideration, seeking the anti-graft court to re-examine the ruling and citing his right to due process. 'We respect the Sandiganbayan's decision as part of our justice system. However, we are surprised by the outcome, especially since Mayor Ruffy was previously acquitted of similar charges involving public funds,' Espiritu said in Filipino in a post on Biazon's official Facebook page. 'We remain hopeful that, like the earlier cases, Mayor Ruffy will ultimately be acquitted once due process has been completed. We intend to explore all legal remedies, beginning with a motion for reconsideration,' he added. Biazon, along with businesswoman Janet Napoles and former government agency Technology Resource Center (TRC) officials Dennis Cunanan, Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, and Evelyn De Leon were sentenced to six to eight years in jail and perpetual disqualification from public office after being found guilty of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Court records showed that whistleblower Benhur Luy said Biazon received some P1.950 million through an authorized representative, and the public funds from Biazon's PDAF went to Napoles-run Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. (PSDFI), a corporate entity that could not have been physically located at its declared address. Biazon, for his part, argued that he merely endorsed the non-government organization (MGO) to the TRC, and that his signature was forged by the whistleblower. The court meanwhile found that Biazon's endorsement functioned more as an instruction than a recommendation, and that there was no substantial evidence that he took steps to dispute or report the alleged forgery. 'Mayor Ruffy will continue to uphold the law — the same law that grants him the right to defend himself and to clear his name of these accusations,' Espiritu said. 'According to the law, Mayor Ruffy will stay in his post and fulfill the mandate entrusted to him by the people of Muntinlupa,' he added. —RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Sandiganbayan finds Ruffy Biazon guilty of graft
The Sandiganbayan has found Muntinlupa mayor and former lawmaker Ruffy Biazon guilty of graft in connection with the P10 billion pork barrel scam. As a result, the anti-graft court sentenced Biazon to six to 10 years in jail. Sandiganbayan, however, cleared Biazon of malversation raps in the same pork barrel case. Biazon, meanwhile, has said that he will appeal the ruling. 'Public service should not be derailed by noise or distraction. My commitment to Muntinlupeños stands firm—a city led with compassion, guided by vision, and focused on real solutions," Biazon said in a statement. Biazon's camp also said that the Sandiganbayan verdict does not impact his current position as mayor. "The governance will continue with the same integrity and resolve that has marked his leadership since day one. This is not the end—it's the beginning of a renewed push for deeper, more inclusive public service,' Biazon's camp said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
