黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The camp of former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista will file a motion for reconsideration on Sandiganbayan鈥檚 decision to convict him of graft in connection with the over P32 million contract for the procurement of an online processing system of the city鈥檚 occupational permitting and tracking system in 2019.

In a Viber message, Bautista鈥檚 lawyer and University of Santo Tomas (UST) Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina said they are 鈥渄eeply saddened鈥� by decision of the the anti-graft court鈥檚 Seventh Division.

READ: Sandigan finds former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista guilty of graft

鈥淲e maintain his innocence and assert that no act constituting the offense was committed. Notably, the vote was split 2-1, highlighting reasonable doubt,鈥� the statement read.

鈥淓vidence presented in the trial confirmed the project was delivered and received by the Quezon City Government, with payment made by the succeeding administration. Mayor Bautista did not financially benefit from the project, and no harm or injury was incurred by the city or its people,鈥� it added.

鈥淲e will file a motion for reconsideration, hopeful that a thorough review of the evidence will affirm his innocence,鈥� it further said.

Earlier Monday, the Sandiganbayan Special Third Division likewise found former City Administrator Aldrin Cu帽a guilty.

Both are sentenced to 鈥渁n indeterminate penalty of imprisonment of six years and one month as minimum to 10 years as maximum.鈥�

Bautista and Cu帽a will also suffer 鈥減erpetual disqualification to hold public office.鈥�

Based on previous reports, state prosecutors accused Bautista and Cu帽a of facilitating the full payment of supplier Geodata Solutions Inc. without authorization from the city council and before the completion of the project.

In 2023, Bautista denied being part of any conspiracy to commit graft, saying that the purported conspiracy could not be proven with the fact that he entered into a contract.