Graft case vs ex-Muntinlupa mayor continues

The trial of former Muntinlupa City Mayor Aldrin San Pedro for his graft case will continue after the Sandiganbayan denied his plea to contest the evidence against him. In a five-page resolution on Tuesday, the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division denied the motion for leave by San Pedro to file a demurrer to evidence, a pleading that challenges the supposed weakness of the prosecution’s evidence against the accused. San Pedro is facing graft charges at the Sandiganbayan for the alleged irregular purchase of three fire trucks and an aerial ladder truck for P97.5 million. The fire trucks were purchased from Palmer-Asia and paid for in four tranches from July 2008 to March 2009 “even without delivering the said vehicles” to the local government of Muntinlupa. Angel Palmiery, general manager of Palmer-Asia and San Pedro’s coaccused, also filed a motion for leave, but this was also denied by the antigraft court. San Pedro and Palmiery need to present “countervailing evidence,” according to the court.

—Dempsey Reyes