Sandiganbayan allows graft trial of ex-ARTA officials to proceed

The Sandiganbayan has affirmed its August 2025 decision allowing the prosecution of former Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Director General Jeremiah Belgica and four others for graft, in connection with ARTA’s issuance of Orders of Automatic Approval (OAAs) that defied the decisions of state regulator National Telecommunications Commission due to lack of merit.

In a 31-page resolution dated October 9, the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division denied the appeal filed by Belgica and his other co-accused and ex-ARTA Deputy Director General Eduardo Bringas, Division Chief Sheryl Pura-Sumagui, as well as Directors Jedrek Ng and Melamy Salvadora-Asperin by citing that the pending resolution of two Supreme Court cases—NewsNet vs. NTC and NOW Telecom Company (NOW Tel) vs. NTC—is not enough to suspend the trial proceedings since they are unrelated to the graft charge.

“The issues in the criminal case [of graft] and those in the Newsnet and NOW Tel cases [pending before the Supreme Court] are not intimately related. Thus, there is no ground for suspending the proceedings on the basis of prejudicial question,” the Sandiganbayan said.

The court said that while the Supreme Court cases is about whether ARTA has the authority to issue OAAs that override NTC actions, the graft case only involves the question on whether or not the OAA issued by ARTA to 3G mobile frequencies is legal.

The anti-graft court said that the graft charge was filed against Belgica and four others because the then Belgica-led ARTA issued OAA to 3G mobile frequencies in 2021 that affected the frequencies already assigned to Dito Telecommunity.

Government prosecutors said that the Belgica-led ARTA issued the OAA to 3G mobile frequencies even though the NTC had previously assigned the same frequencies to Dito Telecommunity Inc.

“In fine, the respondents failed to convince this Court that the reversal of the assailed Decision is warranted,” it said.

“Accordingly, the respective Motions for Reconsideration of respondents Ng, Belgica, Salvadora-Asperin, Pura-Sumagui, and Bringas, are hereby denied for lack of merit. Branch 141 of the RTC (Regional Trial Court) in Cainta, Rizal is directed to immediately continue the proceedings in Criminal Case No. 24-86220,” the anti-graft court added. — BM, GMA Integrated News