ZAMBOANGA CITY - The 6th Division of the Sandiganbayan has acquitted six officials of the Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD) of charges in violation of the Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the General Procurement Act, the ZCWD said in a statement Friday. The six ZCWD officials were acquitted for the failure of the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused committed acts in violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act as amended and Section 65(2) Article 21 of R.A. 9184 (Government Procurement and Reform Act) based on the decision of the Sandiganbayan's 6th Division released on Wednesday and penned by Associate Justice Karl Miranda. Associate Justices Sarah Jane Fernandez, chairperson of the 6th Division, and Kevin Narce Vivero concurred with the decision. The respondents in the case included ZCWD General Manager Leonardo Rey Vasquez and members of the Bids and Awards Committee headed at that time by lawyer Lovell Abad
MANILA - The Sandiganbayan has acquitted officials of the Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD) of graft charges over irregularities in the 2010 bidding of the PHP19-million Pasonanca-Sta. Maria Line rehabilitation project. In its decision dated Nov. 24, the court's Sixth Division acquitted ZCWD general manager Leonardo Rey Vazquez, department manager Lovell Abad, and division managers Teotimo Reyes Jr., Arnulfo Alfonso, Rodrigo Vega, and Fernando Camba. They were charged with the alleged violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184) following a complaint filed by a bidder, Bendimil Construction and Development Corp. for allegedly delaying and failing to conduct post-qualification proceedings. Bendimil, which had been issued a notice of lowest calculated bid (NLCB), had filed a case after another bidder, NLV Construction and Development Corporation was issued its own NLCB, even as Bendimil was undergoing post-qua