Sandiganbayan dismisses graft charges vs. ex-CamSur health officials

The Sandiganbayan has dismissed graft charges filed against two former Camarines Sur health officials in connection with a security service contract entered into by the provincial government between 2008 and 2009.

In a 15-page resolution promulgated on February 3, the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division granted the demurrer to evidence filed by former Camarines Sur rural health physician Bernadette Carlos and former medical officer Gerardo Villafuerte.

A demurrer to evidence is a motion to dismiss charges due to insufficient evidence.

The case stemmed from a contract between Camarines Sur and Tigon Security Investigation and General Services, Inc., which allegedly received “unwarranted benefits, advantage, and preference” from the provincial government.

Carlos and Villafuerte were charged along with then-Camarines Sur Governor LRay Villafuerte, now the 2nd District Representative of the same province, former provincial accountant Leticia Aliorde, and former executive assistant Richard Rivera.

In response to the motion filed by Carlos and Villafuerte, Associate Justice Bayani Jacinto said there was “no evidence” proving that they played any role in the procurement process or exercised any discretion in the selection of Tigon Security.

“Their acts—signing the ObRs (Obligation Requests)—were part of the disbursement process only, and therefore came after the contract was entered into by the provincial government and Tigon Security,” he said.

“There is also no evidence to show that accused-movants had any knowledge of the fact that the services of Tigon Security were procured without public bidding or that they ought to know such fact, in the first place,” he added.

Associate Justices Alex Quiroz and Lorifel Pahimna concurred.

LRay Villafuerte was charged with a second graft case before the Sandiganbayan in 2018 over the same security service contract. — BM, GMA News