The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division says the defendants – former members of TESDA's Bids and Awards Committee and secretariat – were not the ones who entered into the contract agreements with the supplier
Sandiganbayan finds Sajid Ampatuan guilty of 126 counts of falsification of public documents and four counts each of graft and malversation of public funds
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 BULLETIN FILE PHOTO
Blanco was initially slapped with violations of Section 3(e) of R.A. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code or Malversation of Public Funds.
On December 20, 2001, Blanco was accused of embezzling and converting to his personal use P189,600 worth of cash advances that he received for the Christmas party of the employees. Despite demands for him to liquidate the funds, he reportedly failed to do so.
In its ruling, the anti-graft court said that the prosecution failed to prove that the accused acted with manifest partiality, evident bad faith, and gross inexcusable negligence in the handling of the cash advances.