The Sandiganbayan has given the green light to Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito to join the trip of President Rodrigo Duterte to Japan despite his technical malversation case for the allegedly anomalous use of calamity funds to buy firearms.

The antigraft court’s Sixth Division granted on Tuesday Ejercito’s urgent motion to travel and join Duterte’s trip from Oct. 25 to 27.

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Ejercito’s motion was granted in open court.

The court only asked Ejercito to submit the requirements for travel, such as authorization letters from the Office of the President and Office of the Senate President.

READ: Ejercito plea to hold separate technical malversation trial nixed

In an interview with reporters, Ejercito said he was invited by the Office of the President to join Duterte’s trip.

Ejercito said he was the lone senator to join the trip to Japan as an author of a Senate bill seeking emergency powers for the President to solve the traffic crisis.

“I will be the only senator who will be part of the delegation, probably because I’m one of the principal authors of (the bill) on emergency powers for the transport crisis,” Ejercito said.

“As we know, Japan has been the biggest source of funds through the overseas development assistance. Siguro I was invited specifically for the transport crisis,” he added.

“We’re just part of the support group but of course he (Duterte) will be the main man for the Philippines. Probably, if there’s any needed legislation regarding overseas development assistance, these are the options he can take,” Ejercito said.

Ejercito said he would be assisting the President in talks with Japanese firms for possible investments in public railway systems in the Philippines.

“We’re just part of the support group but of course he (Duterte) will be the main man for the Philippines. Probably, if there’s any needed legislation regarding overseas development assistance, these are the options he can take,” Ejercito said.

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Ejercito, former San Juan vice mayor Francis Zamora and the other city councilors are facing charges of technical malversation for using the city’s calamity funds for high-powered firearms. Zamora was then a councilor.

Ejercito has a separate graft trial before the Fifth Division over the same accusation involving the alleged anomalous purchase of high-powered rifles worth P2.1 million using calamity funds that caused undue injury to government when he was San Juan mayor in 2008.

Co-accused in the case are former vice mayor Leonardo Celles, and the Sangguniang Panlungsod members Jannah Ejercito-Surla, Angelino Mendoza, Andoni Carballo, Vincent Pacheco, Rolando Bernardo, Dante Santiago, Grace Pardines, Francis Keith Peralta, Eduardo Soriano, Joseph Christopher Torralba and Domingo Sese.

Ejercito has a separate graft trial before the Fifth Division over the same accusation involving the alleged anomalous purchase of high-powered rifles worth P2.1 million using calamity funds that caused undue injury to government when he was San Juan mayor in 2008.

He filed a demurrer to evidence after the prosecution finished its presentation of evidence.

READ: JV Ejercito, San Juan VM Zamora face graft raps over P2.1-M gun deal | JV Ejercito asks court’s nod to file motion to junk graft rap

According to the information, Ejercito conspired with other city officials to purchase high-powered firearms in February 2008 using the city’s calamity fund as “investment for disaster preparedness.”

The firearms bought using the city’s calamity fund included three K2 cal. 5.56 mm sub-machine guns and 17 Daewoo model K1 cal. 5.56 mm sub-machine guns.

Ejercito tagged his rival Zamora as behind the graft charge. Zamora lost his mayoralty bid to the senator’s mother, reelected San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez. CBB/rga

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