The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division has suspended Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund “LRay” F. Villafuerte Jr. for 90 days for graft charges in connection with the allegedly anomalous purchase of P20-million worth of fuel when he was still the governor of Camarines Sur.
Villafuerte is facing three graft charges for violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, also known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
He reportedly went ahead with the purchase of fuel even without undergoing the proper bidding process.
The prosecution filed a motion to suspend Villafuerte on July 29, 2016 and Villafuerte’s camp filed an opposition on August 22, 2016.
The prosecution stated that Villafuerte’s suspension is “mandatory” since he was already arraigned on October 8, 2013 and invoked Section 13 of RA 3019 which states that “any public officer against whom any criminal prosecution under a valid information under this Act or under the provisions of the Revised Penal Code on bribery is pending in court, shall be suspended from office.” (Czarina Nicole O. Ong)
