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Ex-Isabela gov Padaca says Sandigan overturned her graft conviction


Former Isabela Governor Grace Padaca on Saturday said the Sandiganbayan has overturned a decision that convicted her of graft in connection with the granting of P25 million to a private entity for her province's rice program.

In a Facebook post, Padaca shared portions of the anti-graft court's June 23 ruling granting her December 2, 2019 motion for reconsideration appealing her November 15, 2019 conviction for violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

In its latest order, the Sandiganbayan said Padaca was being acquitted for the prosecution's "failure to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt."

The Sandiganbayan also ordered the lifting of its hold departure order against Padaca, and the  return of the bail bond that she had posted for her provisional liberty "subject to the usual accounting and auditing requirements."

The order was penned by Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, chair of the Samdiganbayan Third Division, with the concurrence of Associate Justice Bernelito Fernandez and Ronald Moreno.

"Sa totoo lang, hindi na ako umasa noon na babaligtarin pa ng mga judge ang desisyon nila laban sa akin, but I am thankful for this new and positive development," said Padaca in her post.

Padaca clarified that the Sandiganbayan only acquitted her in one of the two cases against her, describing the development as "konting good news."

As of posting time, GMA News Online is still trying to secure a copy of the actual ruling Padaca was referring to.

Section 3(e) of RA 3019 punishes those "causing any undue injury to any party, including the Government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence."

In its initial decision in November, the anti-graft court ordered Padaca, a polio survivor, to pay the Isabela government P18 million in fine for granting the P25-million contract to Economic Development for Western Isabela and Northern Luzon Foundation, Inc. (EDWINLFI) for the implementation of Isabela's rice program, even if the Memorandum of Agreement between the two parties was not approved by the Provincial Board.

Padaca, however, maintained that the contract is aboveboard because the Provincial Board gave her the authority to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with EDWINLFI and that she has presented proof of it alongside with evidence that the farmers benefited from the program.

Padaca was originally sentence to 12 to 14 years of jail time for her malversation conviction, on top of six to 10 years prison time for her graft conviction.

Padaca's bail was earlier set to P140,000—double the amount of the  P70,000 bail she earlier posted—for her temporary liberty.

Padaca, also a former Commission on Elections commissioner, was a recipient of the 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Good Governance and is one of the founders of Kaya Natin, a movement for good governance. -MDM, GMA News

 

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