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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Sandigan dismisses graft charge vs ex-Siquijor town mayor, 5 others

Sandigan dismisses graft charge vs ex-Siquijor town mayor, 5 others

Published Mar 11, 2023 08:14 am
The Sandiganbayan has dismissed the graft charge against former mayor Orville Fua of Lazi town in Siquijor and five others for insufficiency of evidence. Aside from Fua, also cleared were former municipal treasurer and bids and awards committee (BAC) member Rose Marie Tomogsoc, municipal engineer Natalio Jumawan Jr., private secretary and BAC member Sue Agnes Castillon, planning and development coordinator Teodoro Jumadla Jr., and Perezbros Company representative Pompey Perez. They were charged in the Jan. 7, 2005 purchase of 1,866 liters of Vitacorp liquid organic fertilizers at P1,500 per liter from Perezbros Company. The prosecution alleged the purchase violated provisions of Republic Act No. 9184, the Government Procurement Reform Act. The accused filed their respective demurrers to evidence which challenged the weakness of the prosecution’s evidence to sustain a conviction. Granting their demurrers, the Sanidganbayan said that none of the prosecution witnesses testified on the "precise participation" of the public officers and Perez to commit an unlawful design or purpose. The court said that the prosecution even admitted that Perez had no involvement in the procurement of the subject fertilizers, and the only thing linking him to the case is his name being listed as a partner for Perezbros Company. To hold him liable on the basis of partnership alone, it said, is a "sweeping conclusion grounded entirely on speculation." "Although it is not disputed that accused public officers participated in the execution and implementation of the abovementioned procurement documents, their respective signatures appearing thereon cannot be the sole basis to conclude that they consciously and intentionally took part in the participation of the alleged conspiracy to defraud the government," the court said. The charged against their co-accused, municipal budget officer Ivan Y. Marchan, had been dismissed due to his death. The Sandiganbayan’s resolution was written by Associate Justice Lorifel L. Pahimna with the concurrence of Fourth Division Chairperson Michael Frederick L. Musngi and Associate Justice Bayani H. Jacinto.
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