The Sandiganbayan has ordered the suspension pendente lite of top executives from the Optical Media Board for 90 days. The Sandiganbayan directed Chairman Ronaldo “Ronnie” Ricketts, Manuel Mangubat (Head, Enforcement and Inspection Division), Joseph Arnaldo (Investigation Agent 1) and Glenn Perez (Computer Operator II) to immediately cease and desist from exercising the functions and privileges of their office.
In its 27 January 2016 Resolution, the anti-graft court stated that “it is mandatory for the court to immediately issue the suspension order upon proper determination of the validity of the information.” The court noted that “the accused were afforded due preliminary investigation by the Ombudsman” and that the “issuance of the order of suspension pendente lite is warranted.”
The Sandiganbayan directed the Office of the President to implement the suspension order.
It will be recalled that in a Joint Resolution approved on 28 August 2014, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the filing of criminal charges against Ricketts, et. al. for violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019).
Investigation found that on 27 May 2010, OMB agents raided the Sky High Marketing Corporation located in Quiapo, Manila. The team seized 127 boxes and two sacks of pirated Digital Video Discs (DVDs) and Video Compact Disks (VCDs), one unit of Video Recording Human I.P.C, and also arrested three Chinese nationals.
After the raid, the seized items were brought to the OMB office in the afternoon but were pulled out from the premises in the same evening. Records show that Ricketts instructed the pull-out of the seized items, without any approved gate pass, using the Isuzu Elf truck owned by the raided establishment Sky High.
Ricketts, who was present during the raid, “did not deny Perez’s claim that it was he who ordered the reloading,” the Resolution stated. As head of agency, Ricketts “should have directed the filing of case/s against the violators, but he did not” adding that, “the unjustified release of the confiscated items compromised the pieces of evidence that could substantiate a case/s against those RA 9239 violators, thereby giving unwarranted benefit to Sky High Marketing Corporation and its officers.”###