SUNSTAR
Sunday, June 17, 2012
BASES Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) president Arnel
Casanova is facing a perjury case over statements made against Camp John
Hay developer, CJH Development Corporation (CJHDevCo).
Casanova was charged with perjury Thursday afternoon at the Manila
Prosecutor's office, for allegedly falsely stating under oath in a
complaint filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) that CJHDevCo
concealed from BCDA properties transferred to government agency in 2010
representing payments of CJHDEVCO's rental obligations. The identified
properties were allegedly the subject of a prior sale.
CJHDevCo
legal Counsel Frank Chavez said, "Mr. Casanova has been very arrogant
in his pronouncements that he is ready for any suit that might be filed
against him in this dispute with CJHDevCo since it comes with the job.
Well, Mr. Casanova, as a public official, holding the highest office in
the BCDA, should also exercise due diligence in the exercise of his
authority."
Chavez also said CJHDevCo remains steadfast in its conviction to
prosecute this perjury case against Casanova up to the very end.
"CJHDevCo will proceed against Mr. Casanova to the fullest extent of
the law for the falsehoods he has made before the DOJ thru his baseless
complaint of an alleged double sale to BCDA," Chavez said.
Manuel Ubarra Jr., CJHDevCo president for litigation, stated in the
complaint that "Casanova had the opportunity to verify that no prior
sale was in existence at the time CJHDEVCO transferred the property in
question to BCDA in 2010. He personally spoke with the lawyer of the
alleged prior buyer, which lawyer is, in fact, a close friend of Mr.
Casanova. Talks between Mr. Casanova and the lawyer of the supposed
first buyer and documents made available to Mr. Casanova in those talks,
could not have led to any other conclusion other than the fact that the
said buyer abandoned his interest in the property way back in 2001, or
10 years before the property in question was transferred to BCDA."
Casanova perjured himself when he filed an estafa complaint against
officials of CJHDevCo before Senior State Prosecutor Philip Kimpo at the
DOJ last March.
Casanova said that due to the false pretenses of CJHDevCo officers,
the BCDA was deceived and induced to enter into an agreement dated May
27, 2010 with the CJHDevCo wherein the latter transferred to BCDA
ownership and possession of five log homes in Camp John Hay in exchange
for the condonation of its outstanding obligation with BCDA.
Chavez said, "What puts the final nail in the coffin of Mr. Casanova,
so to speak, is the fact that even if he already knew fully well that
the alleged buyer had abandoned all interest in the subject property, he
still proceeded to maliciously file a complaint for fraud allegedly
committed by CJHDevCo in the transfer of the said property to BCDA."
Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on June 18, 2012.
