Mayor Jerry Pasigian of Alfonso Castañeda, Nueva Vizcaya, is facing a 90-day suspension pendente lite after the Sandiganbayan sustained the motion filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor in connection with his pending case for violation of Section 3 (e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019).
In a three-page Resolution, the anti-graft court reiterates that any incumbent public officer arraigned on a valid information and pleaded not guilty therein shall be suspended from office to prevent him from hampering the prosecution by intimidating or influencing witnesses, tampering with documentary evidence, or committing further acts of malfeasance while in office. The court emphasized that the suspension is not a penalty.
The Ombudsman indicted accused Pasigian for the anomalous purchase in April 2009 of a 2003 Nissan Patrol amounting to P1,350,000.00 which was awarded through Direct Contracting sans any public bidding. He is facing trial for graft and Malversation of Public Funds.
Section 13 of R.A. No. 3019 provides that any incumbent public officer against whom any valid information under the Act or the Revised Penal Code, or for any offense involving fraud upon the government, or public funds or property, whether as simple or complex offense, and in whatever stage of execution and mode of participation is pending in court, shall be suspended from office. ###