Sandiganbayan acquits Grex Lagman of indirect bribery

The Sandiganbayan Third Division acquitted former Albay governor Edcel Greco "Grex" Lagman on indirect bribery and violation of Anti-Illegal Numbers Game law due to insufficient evidence.

In a statement, the Sandiganbayan Third Division said this is because the material witnesses, who executed sworn statements as to Lagman's alleged involvement in jueteng operations within the Province of Albay as its supposed protector or ecanted and testified contrary to the facts narrated in these same statements.

These initial sworn statements of the witnesses, the anti-graft court said cannot be used to support the claim and give context to the prosecution's remaining evidence namely:

• Toyota Fortuner allegedly being used to deliver the jueteng payola to Lagman
• 60 bank deposit slips showing cash deposits in small denominations in Lagman's name.

"Pursuant to the Rules on Evidence and related jurisprudence, the truth of the matters contained in these independently relevant statements cannot now be used to give context or assign corroborative roles to these remaining pieces of evidence, thereby, leaving the Court with no inference to be derived in determining whether Lagman is indeed guilty of the crimes charged," the Sandiganbayan said.

"Lagman's position as Vice-Governor, when taken together with the remaining pieces of evidence with no context as to their involvement in the crimes charged, is insufficient to establish his moral certainty of guilt. In view of these findings," the anti-graft court added. —VAL, GMA News