The Sandiganbayan has acquitted a former Caloocan City barangay (village) chairperson who was convicted by the regional trial court (RTC) of 23 counts each of graft and malversation of P1.6 million in public funds.
Acquitted was Trinidad G. Repuno, former head of Barangay 14, Zone 2, District II of Caloocan City.
Repuno was convicted on June 19, 2023 by the RTC of violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Revised Penal Code. She was sentenced to a prison term ranging from six to 10 years for each count of graft and from two to seven years for each count of malversation of public funds. She was also ordered to pay a fine of P1.6 million.
In challenging the RTC’s ruling, Repuno told the Sandiganbayan that she should not be held criminally liable as she did not sign and issue the subject checks, and her purported signatures on the said checks were forgeries.
She insisted that the RTC failed to appreciate her defense of forgery, adding that the RTC failed to exercise "independent judgment" in determining the authenticity and genuineness of the signatures on the checks.
Finding Repuno’s arguments meritorious, the anti-graft court said there was "serious doubt" whether Repuno countersigned the subject checks. "The RTC never attempted to compare Repuno's standard/genuine signatures against the signatures on the subject checks," the Sandiganbayan said.
The anti-graft court found several inconsistencies when it conducted an independent examination of the questioned signatures and the admitted signatures of Repuno on the sample documents she submitted.
At the same time, the Sandiganbayan said there was no evidence presented that would show that Repuno benefited from the encashment of the said checks.
"The prosecution did not present any evidence to show that Repuno appropriated, took, misappropriated or consented or, through abandonment or negligence, permitted another person to take the funds covered by the subject checks," it said.
"Neither may Repuno be considered negligent because the subject checks, including the vouchers supporting the said checks, did not pass through her for her signature," it added.
First Division Chairperson Associate Justice Efren N. De La Cruz wrote the 68-page decision with the concurrence of Associate Justices Geraldine Faith A. Econg and Juliet M. Manolo-San Gaspar.