Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan has acquitted former Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno and several ex-provincial capitol officials of 11 graft and corrupt practices charges. This landmark decision was released on Friday, marking a significant turn in a series of legal challenges that began in 2013.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Sandiganbayan found that the guilt of the accused had not been proven with moral certainty. Therefore, in line with longstanding policy, it upheld the presumption of innocence and ordered the exoneration of the accused. This decision also led to the recall and setting aside of the hold departure order previously issued against the respondents.
The graft charges against Moreno and the other officials stemmed from their tenure in office, particularly focusing on incidents from 2007 to 2012. The Commission on Audit had issued Notices of Disallowances for allegedly anomalous heavy equipment lease contracts, which became final and executory in January 2015. Among the contentious issues was the rental of an excavator from Equiprent Corporation, worth over PHP 2.9 million, allegedly approved without public bidding.
The accused officials had justified their actions by citing the need for immediate response to typhoon and weather disturbances in the province during the said period, opting for Negotiated Procurement as an alternative method. In addition to Moreno, former provincial accountant Divina Bade and several members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), including Cancio Guibone, Elmer Wabe, and Patrick Gabutina, were acquitted. Other acquitted BAC members include Rolando Pacuribot, Danilo Maputol, Elsie Lopoy, and Leemar Tinagan.