Antigraft court junks ex-QC mayor Herbert Bautista’s plea

INQUIRER PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

The Sandiganbayan has thumbed down the motion of former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista to dismiss the graft charges against him in connection with the P32.1-million processing system of the city’s occupational permits in 2019.

The seventh division, in a resolution dated March 8, denied Bautista’s motion for leave to file demurrer to evidence after saying “sufficiency of evidence is inevitably found.”

READ: Court junks Herbert Bautista’s bid to dismiss graft case

State prosecutors accused Bautista and former City Administrator Aldrin Cuña of facilitating the full payment of supplier Geodata Solutions Inc. without authorization from the city council and before the completion of the project.

In his motion, Bautista invoked the “Arias doctrine” when he argued that any irregularities cannot be attributed to him because he was not a bids and awards committee member.

Under the Arias principle, a superior cannot be held liable for an offense committed by his or her subordinate, without evidence. —KATHLEEN DE VILLA

READ: Ruffa Gutierrez: I’m not pregnant with Herbert Bautista’s child