Mayor Jefferson Soriano of Tuguegarao City, who was accused allegedly issuing a provisional permit to a private company to operate the city’s parking and transport terminal in 2013 illegally, has been aquitted of the graft case by the Sandiganbayan First Division.
“Parenthetically, the court fails to see how the accused mayor gave unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference through manifest partiality in favor of OWPTI when, ultimately, the granting of the franchise to operate the parking terminals was lodged with the Sanggunian,” the anti-graft court said in its decision.
The Ombudsman accused Soriano, a former police deputy director general, of allegedly giving unwarranted benefits to One Way Parking Terminal, Incorporated.
It claimed that Soriano issued a provisional permit to OWPTI without prior authorization from the city council in violation of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code.