Manila: The Sandiganbayan fourth division has acquitted former officials of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) of alleged irregularities in the procurement of mahogany saplings and garden tools for tree plantings in 2009. In a 131-page decision made public Monday, the anti-graft court acquitted former PRA deputy general manager Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Lingat(ret.) and 12 others, citing 'failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.' The court said there was 'no proof that the acts of the accused caused undue injury to any party, including the government, or have given any private party unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference.'
According to Philippines News Agency, others acquitted were Evelyn Tansiongco, Teresita Aganan, Virgilio Alonzo, Danny Fajardo, Jasmine del Rosario, Rosalino Embing, Celeste Napigkit, Noel Bautista, Orlando Habitan, Pedro Espiritu, Thelma Rupa, and Roderick Natanauan. The original charge claimed the saplings, bought for PHP1.65 million, were purchased without public bidding, overpriced, and paid for by splitting the disbursement vouchers and checks to avoid going beyond the signing amount limit of the agency head. The ruling also dropped separate charges over the purchase of garden tools for PHP600,000 from two private firms. The tree planting activities were held in Pasig, Marikina, Quezon City, and Cainta. The Commission on Audit noted the absence of coordination, noting that PRA could have substantially saved PHP1.3 million by coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for free seedlings and saplings.
In a separate case, the Sandiganbayan has also cleared former Cabugao, Ilocos Sur municipal engineer Jose Suboc of graft and malversation over alleged irregularities in a PHP1.4 million contract for farm-to-market roads projects in 2010. Suboc was arrested last year. His co-accused, former mayor Diocaesar Suero, former municipal planning development coordinator Florante Jara, and businessman Nestor Ibarra, were acquitted in 2022. 'The court is convinced that the guilt of accused was not proven beyond reasonable doubt. The totality of the facts and circumstances demonstrates that he is entitled to acquittal as a matter of course,' the court said.
The court also noted that an undated inspection report by a witness, engineer Pedro Blanco, was 'tainted with irregularities and is an accurate depiction of the entire project.' Blanco inspected just one of the four portions of the farm-to-market road concreting project and 'has never provided any photograph, sketch or depiction of the road that he inspected,' the court said. 'It is, therefore, improper for the prosecution to merely rely on the said inspection report then deduce that the certificates signed by Suboc were all falsified,' the court said, noting that the project was duly accepted by the end user barangay and that the same project is still being used.
