Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Escaler pleads not guilty to graft raps
BUSINESSMAN Ernest Escaler on Tuesday entered a not guilty plea in a conditional arraignment before a Sandiganbayan division granted him a one-month travel authority to Europe.
Escaler is a co-accused of former justice secretary Hernando Perez in a graft case pending before the anti-graft court's First Division. He and Perez, along with the former justice chief's wife Rosario and brother-in-law Ramon Arceo, are also facing a robbery case before the Second Division.
Both cases stemmed from allegations that they extorted US$2 million from former Manila congressman Mark Jimenez in 2001.
Escaler's arraignment was a precondition to allowing him to travel abroad from May 21 to June 21, 2008.
The First Division arraigned him so his trial can proceed even if he is out of the country.
The court allowed Escaler to attend to his business meetings in France, Austria, Italy and the United Kingdom.
In a motion he filed last week, Escaler said his European tour has something to do with his official function as founding chairman and president of the Philippine Interactive Audiotext Services (Piasa), Inc.
Piasa is a private company that provides call center services for foreign embassies of six European countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
As Piasa chairman and president, Escaler said he is tasked not only to oversee the entire operations of the company in the Philippines but also operations in foreign countries. (Sunnex)
