Former Pampanga Rep. Aurelio ‘Dong’ Gonzales posted P180,000 bail in two of three of his graft cases before two Sandiganbayan divisions, the anti-graft court confirmed on Monday.
The Office of the Ombudsman on Friday filed three counts of graft against Gonzales over his alleged links to construction firms that secured public works contracts in flood control projects worth P611 million while he was in office.
Gonzales’ three graft cases were raffled off to the Second, Third and Seventh divisions.
The Seventh Division clerk of court told reporters that he posted the bail on Saturday. Sandiganbayan offices have a skeletal workforce every Saturday.
As for the Second Division, its clerk of court also confirmed that he posted another P90,000 bail on Friday.
The Third Division has yet to issue an arrest warrant against Gonzales, according to its clerk of court.
In its Joint Resolution, the Ombudsman found prima facie evidence against Gonzales for having a prohibited financial interest in a construction firm during his term as a lawmaker.
Section 3(h) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, prohibits public officials from having a direct or indirect financial or pecuniary interest in a business, contract or transaction in which they intervene or take part in their official capacity.