Sandigan finds ex-QC mayor Bistek, aide guilty of graft

In a 146-page decision released Monday, the Sandiganbayan sentenced Bautista and Cuña to up to 10 years imprisonment. (File Photo: By Patrick Roque/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

By Benjamin Pulta, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The Sandiganbayan has found former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista and former city administrator Aldrin Cuña guilty of graft in connection with the irregularities in a PHP32-million permitting and tracking system project in 2019.

In a 146-page decision released Monday, the Sandiganbayan sentenced Bautista and Cuña to up to 10 years imprisonment.

Bautista – or Herbert Constantine Maclang Bautista in real life – and Cuña were charged for the payment of PHP32 million to private supplier Geodata Solutions Inc. for an Online Occupational Permitting Tracking System, which was supposed to expedite city hall transactions.

The prosecution said the payment proceeded even without authorization from the City Council and proof of complete delivery by the supplier.

As a result of their conviction, Bautista and Cuña are now perpetually disqualified from holding public office.

The anti-graft court, however, did not order Bautista and Cuña to pay fines since the public funds involved were received by the private firm, which is not a party to the case.

“No civil liability will be adjudged at this instance considering that the amount of PHP32,107,912 cannot be directed to be paid by either accused, the same having been received in full by a private party which is not a party to this case,” the Sandiganbayan said.

Bautista served as Quezon City mayor for three consecutive terms from 2010 to 2019.

The Sandiganbayan decision was penned by Associate Justice Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta, with the concurrence of Associate Justices Zaldy Trespeses and Georgina Hidalgo.