Sandigan grants plea for 'specific details' on graft charge vs ex-LTFRB head
The Sandiganbayan has granted partially the motion of former executive director Samuel Aloysius M. Jardin of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to order the prosecution to specify the details on how he committed alleged violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Jardin has been charged with graft for allegedly requesting and receiving P4.6 million from Michelle Sapangila on March 27, 2019 in exchange for the issuance of the LTFRB Certificate of Public Convenience (COC) or Route Measured Capacity (RMC).
In his motion, Jardin told the anti-graft court that the graft charge filed against him is "vague, ambiguous, [and] indefinite." He asked the court to direct the prosecution to submit a Bill of Particulars to specify the time and place where the alleged crime was committed - including other key details.
In a resolution, the Sandiganbayan partially granted Jardin’s motion as it directed the prosecution to specify three things in its charge -- the particular time and place when and where the alleged offense was committed; the particular date of the filing of the alleged application for CPC with the Technical Division of the LTFRB, the name of the applicant, the case number, the application number, if any, the details of payment of application fees; and the particular route covered by the alleged RMC.
The resolution dated Feb. 19, 2024 was written by Sixth Division Chairperson Associate Justice Sarah Jane T. Fernandez with the concurrence of Associate Justices Karl B. Miranda and Kevin Narce B. Vivero.