THE Office of the Ombudsman has formally filed a request for a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) with the Sandiganbayan against Senator Francis Escudero, as he faces serious criminal complaints, including plunder, graft, and bribery.
The petition, submitted on Saturday, aims to restrict the lawmaker from leaving the country while investigations and legal proceedings related to the allegations remain ongoing, ensuring he remains within the jurisdiction of Philippine authorities.
Joining Escudero in the request for travel restriction is Maynard Ngu, who has been identified as the alleged intermediary or “bagman” linked to the senator. Both are implicated in irregularities surrounding controversial flood control projects, which have been the subject of extensive scrutiny and investigation by the anti-graft body. By including Ngu in the petition, authorities seek to ensure that all key persons connected to the alleged anomalies are available to respond to the charges and participate in the legal process.
Once received, the petition will go through the court’s standard procedure and be raffled off to one of the Sandiganbayan’s divisions for proper handling and resolution. This step follows the recent success of the Ombudsman in securing a similar travel restriction, as the anti-graft court’s Seventh Division recently granted a PHDO against former House speaker Martin Romualdez, who also faces accusations connected to the same set of questioned infrastructure projects and budgetary irregularities.
As of press time, representatives of Senator Escudero have yet to issue any official statement or response regarding the filing of the petition or the allegations raised against him.
metrosundaily
