Ex-agri chief tells Sandiganbayan he is not a flight risk in bid to travel abroad

Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News 

MANILA — Former Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala on Wednesday assured the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division he would not be a flight risk, as he sought to convince the anti-graft court to allow him to travel abroad with his family for the holidays.Alcala, who headed the Department of Agriculture (DA) from 2010 to 2016, is facing a graft charge over the purchase of 375 STW pumps and engines worth P29.23 million based on the request of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management.He is out on cash bond.The prosecution opposed Alcala’s motion for leave to temporarily lift hold departure order and to allow travel abroad in open court, saying there was no absolute necessity for him to travel to Switzerland, Italy and France as this was purely for leisure, and he has failed to show in his motion that he will suffer irreparable damage if his motion is denied.Despite having previously complied with travel conditions, Alcala, the prosecutor said, remains a flight risk. He pointed out that the itinerary Alcala submitted did not include hotel accommodations.Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez personally asked Alcala if he is a resident or citizen of another country or if he owns a passport from another country and if he has family members living abroad. Alcala replied in the negative to all questions.Justice Fernandez however explained that the court will only rule on his motion 5 days before he leaves to anticipate other possible cases that might be filed against him.“The Court directed accused Alcala to submit to the Court his itinerary and his accommodation, if there be any, before the court releases his travel authority,” she said.Alcala is set to travel on December 22 with his wife, children and grandchildren for the first time since the pandemic. He had tried to move for the dismissal of the case saying the DA was not the procuring entity of the allegedly anomalous transaction but the same Sandiganbayan division junked his motion for leave to file demurrer to evidence, citing sufficient evidence to support a possible guilty verdict.Prosecutors accused Alcala of approving the disbursement voucher for the release of P27.48 million to a contracting party which participated in a negotiated procurement despite not conducting a second failed pubic bidding.The Commission on Audit later found that many of the STW pumps and engines were not distributed because the beneficiaries supposedly did not want them. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/24/23/ex-da-chief-alcala-acquitted-in-p135-million-graft-case">Ex-DA chief Alcala acquitted in P13.5 million graft case involving funds for farmers</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ADK1LOD2bHE?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Former Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala sought to convince the anti-graft court to allow him to travel abroad with his family for the holidays.

Ex-agri chief tells Sandiganbayan he is not a flight risk in bid to travel abroad | ABS-CBN

Halalan 2025

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Sports

More

News

Ex-agri chief tells Sandiganbayan he is not a flight risk in bid to travel abroad

Ex-agri chief tells Sandiganbayan he is not a flight risk in bid to travel abroad

Mike Navallo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 29, 2023 05:29 PM PHT

Read More:

Proceso Alcala

Sandiganbayan

graft

agriculture

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.