Sandigan to proceed with graft trial vs Aurora gov

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has ruled to proceed with the trial of a graft case filed against Aurora Gov. Gerardo Noveras and six other former and incumbent provincial officials in connection with the allegedly anomalous awarding of road project contracts in 2014.

In a resolution promulgated on March 17, the anti-graft court denied the motions for leave to file a demurrer to evidence filed by Noveras, budget officer Paz Torregosa, former bids and awards committee chairman Ricardo Bautista, former provincial administrator Simeon de Castro and former BAC members Norma Clemente, Isaias Noveras Jr. and Benedicto Rojo.

The anti-graft court’s Sixth Division also denied a similar motion filed by private respondent Manding Claro Ramos of the RMCR Construction.

A demurrer would have allowed the accused to seek the dismissal of their cases without presenting their defense and based solely on the supposed weakness of evidence of the Office of the Ombudsman.

The court said it found no merit in the respondents’ motion, which challenged the pieces of evidence presented by the ombudsman’s prosecution team, instead of presenting their counter-evidence to dispute the allegations against them.

The Sandiganbayan said granting the respondents’ leave to file demurrers to evidence would delay the proceedings.

It said the respondents may still file their demurrers without a leave of court, provided they waive their right to present evidence and submit the case for judgment based on the pieces of evidence presented by the prosecution team.

Filed by the ombudsman in 2018, the case stemmed from the alleged rigging of the bidding for two contracts awarded to RMCR between March and September 2014.

The ombudsman said the rigging was apparent as the private respondent had implemented and almost completed the project even before the procurement process was concluded.