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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Sandiganbayan acquits ex-Rizal Gov. Ynares Jr., 7 others of graft charges on fertilizer purchases

Sandiganbayan acquits ex-Rizal Gov. Ynares Jr., 7 others of graft charges on fertilizer purchases

Published Oct 10, 2022 03:00 pm

Sandiganbayan

The Sandiganbayan has acquitted former Rizal Gov. Casimiro Martin Ynares Jr. and seven other former provincials of their graft charges in the alleged overpriced purchase of liquid fertilizers in 2004 and 2005.

In its decision, the anti-graft court’s third division ruled that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the charges filed against those accused.

Also acquitted aside from Ynares Jr. were former Officer-in-Charge Provincial Accountant Cecilia C. Almajose, OIC-Provincial Agriculturist Danilo R. Rumbawa, and bids and awards committee (BAC) members Eugene P. Durusan, Victorina A. Olea, Eduardo L. Torres, Virgilio R. Esguerra, and Marilyn U. Araos.

The court said that while they were charged with purchasing overpricing fertilizers, the prosecution failed to present evidence to prove the issue of overpricing.

Ynares Jr. and his group were charged with two counts graft for purchasing fertilizers that were allegedly overpriced by P3.237 million.

The prosecution claimed that 1,266 bottles of Bio Nature Liquid Organic Fertilizers were purchased on Nov. 11, 2004 at P1,500 per bottle or a total of P1,829,945.45. However, the prosecution said that other foliar fertilizers were only priced only at P176 per bottle. Thus, the prosecution alleged that was an overprice of P1,676,184.

On March 10, 2005, the prosecution alleged that the accused purchased 1,189 bottles of Bio Nature Liquid Organic Fertilizers at P1,500 per bottle or a total of P1,767,286.36. The prosecution said that other foliar fertilizers were priced only at P187 per bottle at the time. This resulted to an overprice of P1,561,157, it said.

The anti-graft court said the fertilizers worth P176 and P187 per bottle were not proven to be "the same quality as, and thus comparable to Bio Nature, enough to assert that Bio Nature should be within the same price range."

"After an assiduous assessment of the pieces of evidence presented by the prosecution in these cases, the Court finds that the prosecution has failed to sufficiently establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt for the crimes charged," the decision stated.

The decision was penned by Presiding Justice Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang with the concurrence of Associate Justices Bernelito R. Fernandez and Ronald B. Moreno.

In the same cases, the charges against former BAC members Romulo P. Arcilla Jr. and Danilo O. Collantes had been dismissed due to their deaths.

TAGS: #SANDIGANBAYAN #YNARES

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