Sandiganbayan junks ‘Yolanda’ excuse in graft case

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division has denied the bid of several former executives of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, to blame Supertyphoon “Yolanda” for the lack of records on public bidding in the allegedly anomalous purchase of a P1.985-million fire truck.

Arsenio Valdenor Salamida, Esperanza Gormate Cotin, Ma. Nenita Salamida Ecleo, Felipe Darang Padual and Danilo Gagarion Colandog, who all face graft charges, had asked the court to take notice that Yolanda made landfall in Guiuan on Nov. 8, 2013, which resulted in the damage and destruction of documents pertinent to that particular bidding. —Patricia Denise M. Chiu