SAN DIEGO, California—Five defendants, including two Filipino Americans, have entered not guilty pleas to public corruption charges involving Sweetwater Union High School (SUHS) District Board members, the former district superintendent and a South Bay contractor.
San Diego Country District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis said former SUHS superintendent Jesus Gandara; school board trustees Arlie Ricasa, Pearl Quiñones, and former 16-year board member Greg Sandoval were arraigned January 13. Also charged was Henry Amigable, a contractor who worked for a construction company hired by the school district.
Gandara was charged with perjury, filing a false instrument and wrongful influence. He faces up to seven years in state prison.
Ricasa, a Filipino American, and the other defendants were charged with perjury and accepting bribes from Filipino American construction executive Henry Amigable in exchange for projects funded by over $600 million dollars of taxpayer money.
But the attorney for Ricasa said his client had done nothing wrong and expects to be cleared of the charges.
Asked by Balitang America if Ricasa intends the resign, her lawyer, Attorney Allen Bloom, said: “Absolutely no plans about that at all, why would she? She hasn’t done anything wrong. I’m sure that’s not going to happen.”
At Ricasa’s arraignment, friends and family wore buttons of support claiming her innocence.
Her brother, Tony Ricasa, said the accusations were a blow to the local Filipino community.
“She is one of the very few Filipino elected officials and among highest ranking in San Diego County, and there’s a lot of good community leaders here supporting her,” Tony Ricasa told Balitang America.
The district attorney alleged that the defendants from the school district, who were entrusted with making decisions on behalf of the best interests of students and schools, received tens of thousands of dollars worth of meals, tickets and hotel stays from construction companies vying for voter-approved bond projects.
“Shortly after board members received financial favors, they approved contracts with the contractors for bond projects stemming from Sweetwater’s $644 million Proposition O bond issue,” the DA said in a statement.
District Attorney Dumanis said the investigation is continuing and that the filing of additional charges is possible.
Investigators believe “pay for play” practices between Amigable and his co-defendants helped his former company win several multi-million dollar construction projects.
The school has since suspended the projects.
Amigable’s defense attorney insists he didn’t do anything wrong.
“Does Mr. Amigable have a duty to report any expenses like politicians do? No, he does not,” said Amigable’s counsel Dan Green. “Does he have a duty to his employer, to turn over to them all his expenses and all his expenditures on behalf of the company? Yes he does, and he did.”