THE Office of the Ombudsman is seeking a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) from the Sandiganbayan against Sen. Francis Escudero and his alleged bagman, Maynard Ngu.
The Ombudsman’s application was raffled off to the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division.
While it was not clear yet what exactly the application stemmed from, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a press conference earlier this month that the have been “seriously preparing a case of plunder against” Escudero, who is a former Senate president, and Leyte 1st District Rep. and former speaker Martin Romualdez.
What was being prepared at that time was in connection with the budget process. Remulla said the “element of conspiracy” was “involved in the preparation of the complaint.”
Last year, former Public Works undersecretary Roberto Bernardo had alleged that Ngu was Escudero’s bagman. The senator denied the allegations.