A lawyer who left the hearing being conducted by the Sandiganbayan without seeking permission from the justices was reprimanded with a warning that a repetition of the same offense would be dealt with “more severely.”

During the Jan. 22 hearing of the case involving the “Pastillas scam,” lawyer Andre De Jesus – counsel of accused Immigration Officer Carl Jordan and court-appointed lawyer of Immigration Officer Abdulhafez Dela Tonga Hadjbasher – left the courtroom without permission.

De Jesus was ordered by the Sandiganbayan to explain why he should not be cited for direct contempt.

In his compliance, De Jesus told the court that he had to leave because his mother had been victimized by scammers who were harassing her.

While he told his mother that he would attend to her after the hearing, he said her mother informed him of the “increased harassment” against her.  He apologized to the court for leaving the hearing without permission.

In accepting De Jesus’ explanation, the anti-graft court said it is “not callous in not understanding” especially if it concerns an "urgent personal/family matter."
"While the court notes that Atty. De Jesus' allegation that he left the courtroom to give legal assistance and comfort to his mother remains unsubstantiated, rather than casting doubt on the veracity of his allegations, the court chooses to accord good faith as an officer of the court," the court said.

"It should be noted, however, that further commission of the same or similar acts which may tend to disrupt the proceedings in this case will not be tolerated and this court will not hesitate to impose the proper sanctions," it stressed.

The seven-page resolution was written by Associate Justice Zaldy V. Trespeses with the concurrence of Associate Justice Georgina D. Hidalgo and Presiding Justice Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang.

Several officials from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) are facing violations of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, for giving VIP (very important person) treatment to 143 foreign passengers from 2017 to 2020 allegedly for a fee of  P10,000 each or a total of P1.43 million.

The bribery scheme was named "pastillas" because the foreign nationals were reportedly allowed entry into the country without undergoing profiling, screening, and checking. The bribe money would then be placed in a wrapper that is used for the pastillas de leche treat.