The Sandiganbayan has denied the motion of former municipal treasurer Chonna C. Santos of San Jose town in Occidental Mindoro to dismiss the graft charges filed against her in the alleged irregularities in the town’s computerization project and purchase of muti-cabs in 2008. In seeking the dismissal of the charges, Santos cited the acquittal of former San Jose mayor Romulo de Mesa Festin, her co-accused in the cases. She pointed out that since the anti-graft court had already made a judicial determination of the facts in these cases with the acquittal of Festin, the evidence against her must have been shown to be weak to support a possible conviction. But the court did not agree.  It said: "Although it is the belief, albeit erroneous, of accused-movant Chonna C. Santos that the exoneration of accused Festin should also equate to her own acquittal, this remains to be a non sequitur. This Court still needs to consider and evaluate the evidence for and against her.” Both Festin and Santos were charged in the P4.4 million computerization of the town’s Real Property Tax Assessment (RPTA) and in the purchase of four units of multi-cab for P850,000 reportedly without public bidding in 2008. The resolution denying Santos’ motion to dismiss the charges was written by Associate Justice Bernelito R. Fernandez with the concurrence of Presiding Justice Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang and Associate Justice Ronald B. Moreno of the court’s third division.