Sandiganbayan clears 2 ex-DA chiefs, 12 others of graft

Sandiganbayan building in Quezon City. INQUIRER PHOTO

The Sandiganbayan has cleared former Agriculture Secretaries Proceso Alcala and Bernie Fondevilla as well as 12 past officials of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) of graft in the 2010 purchase of pumps and engines worth around P147 million.

“No clear nexus exists to prove a unity of action and purpose” among the accused “to perpetrate syndicate corruption,” the antigraft court said in its decision.

Aside from Alcala and Fondevilla, acquitted of corruption charges were former BSWM officers Silvino Tejada, Ester Santos, Sonia Salguero, Arnulfo Gesite, Wilfredo Sanidad, Rafael Monte, Rodelio Carating, Diosdado Manalus, Ernesto Brampio, Cecilia Orlanes and Luz Sison.

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Uldarico Andal, who served as BSWM’s inspection committee chair, was absolved due to his death.

Also cleared of the same charges were Elmer Baquiran and Eduardo Villamor of Agri Component Corp., which won the bidding for more than 1,800 irrigation systems.

The charges stemmed from a complaint filed by the Ombudsman in February 2015, accusing the Deparment of Agriculture (DA) and BSWM officials of conspiring to rig the bidding process.