Sandiganbayan junks graft raps vs Honasan

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Second Division has dismissed the graft cases filed against former senator and now Information Secretary Gregorio Honasan II and his co-accused in relation to the alleged misuse of millions worth of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

In a 52-page resolution, the antigraft court’s Second Division granted the demurrer to evidence filed by Honasan and the other accused, saying “the prosecution failed to sufficiently establish the essential elements of the crime charged and to overcome the presumption of innocence in favor of the accused.

Accordingly, the cases against the accused are hereby dismissed.”

Also cleared of the graft cases were co-accused Michael Benjamin, Mehol Kiram Sadain, Fedelina Aldanese, Olga Sajise Galido, Giovanni Manuel Gaerlan, Galay Makalinggan and Aurora Aragon Mabang.

The resolution was promulgated on Dec. 16, 2020, but the details were released on Thursday.

Honasan was indicted in 2017 after the Ombudsman found that P30 million worth of PDAF allotted for Muslim Filipinos were implemented without complying with proper procurement regulations. —NIKKA G. VALENZUELA