Graft court suspends Uswag Ilonggo’s Jojo Ang

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has ordered the 90-day preventive suspension of Uswag Ilonggo party-list Rep. Jojo Ang, who faces graft charges over his alleged ties to a company that bagged P214 million in public works contracts while he remained a lawmaker.

The Sept. 21 resolution giving the order was released on Tuesday by the antigraft court’s Sixth Division, where Ang has been charged with graft on 14 counts.

The Sandiganbayan invoked a Supreme Court ruling on Section 13 of Republic Act No. 3019, or the antigraft law, which makes the preventive suspension of a public official “mandatory” if charges against the official have already been filed in court.

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READ: Jojo Ang’s 4 out of 14 graft cases consolidated in Sandiganbayan

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Named by Discaya

Ang earlier pleaded not guilty when arraigned in connection to two of the 14 counts of graft.

The Office of the Ombudsman has accused Ang of having a stake in a construction firm that had won public works contracts worth P214 million while he served as House member.

Ang was also among the public officials named by the now detained contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II when the latter testified in congressional investigations on his so-called payoff ledger.

The party-list congressman has denied the allegations. —John Eric Mendoza