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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Sandiganbayan acquits of graft, malversation charges ex-Ilocos Sur town official

Sandiganbayan acquits of graft, malversation charges ex-Ilocos Sur town official

Published Aug 18, 2025 04:21 pm
The Sandiganbayan has acquitted former municipal engineer Jose Corazon S. Suboc of Cabugao town in Ilocos Sur of the graft and malversation charges filed against him in the alleged overpayment of the town’s farm-to-market road project in 2010.
Suboc was one of the co-accused of former Cabugao mayor Diocaesar S. Suero, who had been of charges together with former municipal planning and development coordinator Florante S. Jara, and private individual Nesto A. Ibarra.
The charges stemmed from the reported preference given to Ibarra's company, N.A. Ibarra Construction, in the farm-to-market road project.
The prosecution alleged that Suero released the amount of P516,715.14 to Ibarra even if the project has not been completed per examination of the Commission on Audit (COA).
On alleged malversation, Suero and Ibarra were accused together with Suboc and Jara. The prosecution accused them of falsifying the Certificate of Work Accomplished, Certificate of Services Rendered, and Certificate of Project Completion.
In Suboc’s case, the anti-graft court came out with the same conclusion as the decision rendered on his co-accused -- that the accused did not commit evident bad faith, manifest partiality, or gross inexcusable negligence in the subject transactions.
"The Court finds that the full payment of the amount P926,650.66 to N.A. Ibarra Construction was done in due course and as rightful payment for the construction services rendered by the said contractor to the municipality of Cabugao," the decision said.
Thus, the court said that Suboc was entitled to an acquittal.
The 38-page decision was written by Third Division Chairperson Associate Justice Karl B. Miranda with the concurrence of Associate Justices Ronald B. Moreno and Juliet M. Manalo-San Gaspar.
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