The Padilla clan is again at the centre of controversy gain as Robin’s brother and former Governor of Camarines Norte, Casimiro “Roy” Padilla Jr. was ordered to be transferred to New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City by the First Division Sandigan Bayan.
The Anti-Graft Court First Division of Sandigan Bayan dismissed the motion filed by Roy Padilla Jr. with his petition to be detained at the provincial jail of Camarines Norte instead.
Apparently, the Anti-Graft Court First Division disapproved his request and he was ordered instead to be detained at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa where Padilla Jr. is currently under the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) since Friday, March 18, following his arrest after hiding a number of years from the authorities.
Roy Padilla Jr. is the eldest brother of his siblings Rommel Padilla, BB Gandanghari (aka Rustom Padilla-his former screen name) and Robin Padilla-the husband of alluring host and actress Mariel Rodriguez Padilla.
The First Division court released a commitment order on Monday afternoon, March 21 to hold Padilla Jr. under the custody of Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in Muntinlupa City starting today, Monday, March 22.
According to the commitment order penned by Associate Justice Reynaldo Cruz, he said: “I hereby commit to you the person of accused Casimiro A. Padilla a.k.a. Roy A. Padilla Jr. sentenced by this Court per Decision promulgated on November 27, 2012.”
The former Camarines Norte Governor was found guilty of malversation of public property by the Anti-Graft Court First Division on November 2012 “over his failure to return to the provincial government a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition amounting to P7, 462 issued by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 1992 during his term as governor.” The court stated.
Padilla Jr. filed an appeal in the Higher Court contesting the ruling of Sandigan on its decision to detain him in the New Bilibid Prison. However, the Higher Court favoured the decision of First Division court on April 2014 and agreed to remand him in custody at Muntinlupa prison.
Roy Padilla Jr. filed a petition requesting the First Division to detain him at the Camarines Norte provincial jail through the motion that he submitted, citing that the incident happened in the said province.
Padilla Jr. also disclosed that under the ruling of the Revised Administrative Code of the Philippines where a person was sentenced to a maximum of three years in jail or penalty in the amount of P1,000 is considered as a provincial prisoner instead of a national prisoner.
Nevertheless, the Anti-Graft Court First Division resolved in its commitment order that Padilla Jr. was sentenced to a “minimum of four months and one day to a maximum of four years and two months of imprisonment,” opposing to Roy Padilla’s claim that he only received a sentence of two years and four months maximum imprisonment.
The former Governor, Casimiro Padilla Jr. revealed that he is ready to face the consequence and the court ruling to sentence him in jail but emphasized that the case against him is politically motivated.
