The Sandiganbayan has sentenced former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista and his former city administrator Aldrin Cuña to six to years imprisonment for the anomalous computerization project worth P32 million in 2019.
In a decision promulgated on Monday, the anti-graft court found Bautista and Acuna guilty of graft and perpetually disqualified them from holding public office in addition to their prison terms.
But the anti-graft court did not order Bautista and Cuña to pay fines as the public funds involved were received by the private firm—not a party to the case.
“No civil liability will be adjudged at this instance considering that the amount of P32,107,912 cannot be directed to be paid by either accused, the same having been received in full by a private party which is not a party to this case,” the Sandiganbayan said.
The Office of the Ombudsman earlier initiated the graft charges against Bautista and Cuña who entered a not-guilty plea on the charges in connection with awarding the contract to Geodata Solutions for an Online Occupational Permitting and Tracking System despite the absence of a specific appropriation approved by the city council.
Bautista served as Quezon City mayor for three consecutive terms from 2010 to 2019.
The Office of the Ombudsman earlier initiated the graft charges against Bautista and Cuña in connection with awarding the contract to Geodata Solutions for an Online Occupational Permitting and Tracking System despite the absence of a specific appropriation approved by the city council.
He earlier said that the charge leveled against him was “politically motivated.”
Associate Justice Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta penned the decision, with the concurrence of Associate Justices Zaldy Trespeses and Georgina Hidalgo.