Sandiganbayan Graft charges filed against four former officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the purchase of computers and multi-media systems in 2005 have been dismissed by the Sandiganbayan for insufficiency of evidence. Cleared were former Regional Technical Director Romulo
Published April 26, 2021, 2:47 PM
Sandiganbayan logo
The Sandiganbayan has affirmed its decision that convicted of graft two former officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Region VIII in the irregular purchase of textbooks worth P24 million in 1998.
Affirmed in a resolution written by Associate Justice Lorifel L. Pahimna was the conviction of former Chief Accountant Emilia Dela Vega Aranas and former Chief of the Budget and Finance Division Ernesto R. Guiang who had been sentenced to a prison term ranging from six years and one day to 10 years with perpetual disqualification to hold public office.
They were found guilty of processing and authorizing the payment of textbooks and supplementary materials from Esteem Enterprises based on falsified documents.
Published April 13, 2021, 11:27 AM
The Sandiganbayan has denied the motion of the former Manila City treasurer to file a demurrer to evidence that would seek the dismissal of her case on alleged weakness of the prosecution’s evidence.
Denied was the motion filed by Liberty M. Toledo who was charged criminally with graft and malversation through falsification of public documents.
With the denial of her motion, hearing on the criminal case will have to proceed with Toledo’s presentation of evidence.
In a resolution, the anti-graft court said that the evidence presented by the prosecution “appear to be prima facie sufficient to sustain a conviction for violation of Section 3(e) of R.A. 3019 (the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, as amended, and Malversation of Public Funds, unless successfully rebutted by defense evidence.”
Sandiganbayan
(MANILA BULLETIN)
In a resolution issued last March 5, the anti-graft court denied the motion for reconsideration filed by the prosecution on the 2020 ruling that granted Garcia’s demurrer to evidence.
A demurrer to evidence is filed by an accused in a criminal case on the ground of weakness of the prosecution’s evidence to sustain a conviction.
Under the rules, the grant of a demurrer to evidence is tantamount to the acquittal of the accused.
In its March 5 resolution, the Sandiganbayan said:
“A thorough examination of the motion reveals that it is a subtle attempt to have this Court review purported errors of judgment or those involving mis-appreciation of evidence and factual antecedents.