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ssInsght
Oriental Mindoro solon
walks on graft charge
BY PETER IABIT{GO
THE Sandiganbayan yesterdaY
acguined Odental Mindoro ReP.
Paulino Sahadot C. Leachon and
of a graft
his ts-o co-accused
charge filed in 2011 over alleged
misuse of governmeflt ProPertY.
In a 1 4-page decision Penned by
Associate Justice Bayani H. Jacintq
the anti-graft coutt's Fowth Divi-
sioo said the evidence presented by
gorernmeot Prosecutors failed to
deliver the tequired proof beyond
reasonable doubt.
"The use of governmeqt ProP-
erty was pursuant to the regular
exercise of governmental fuoc
tions in furtherance of a legttimate
public putpose. The evidence
on record does not suPPort the
Ending of manifest partiality in
accused public of6cers' actions,"
the court declared.
to questions from
Reacting
reporters outside the courtoom,
Thursday, April 25, 2019
I-eachon admitted that the 1O-year
pendency of the case fiom investi-
gation to the acn:al tdal had been
difficult for him arrd his familY.
"I am thankirl that finallY, I
have beeo vindicated. I have been
suffering for the last 10 years. Oc
cupational hazard, so they saY. Ma-
halaga ito ka-rsa aoo pa man Para
sa pamilp ko aad for my Peace of
mind" he said.
The liwmaket said he was grate-
ful that the court ruled in his favor
after weighing the evidence offeted
by both sides.
"I am grate6rl to the coutt t-hat
it 6nds innoceqce in us. This is
actually a political harassment filed
agahst me more rhan 10 years ago
during the height of the campaign
during my second tetm as city
of
mayor Calapao," he exPlained.
The information filed by the
Ombudsman in 2011 accused dren
Calapan City mayor kachon, city
enginqet Benjamin Acedeta, and
\\pAq-c - B2,i
Guinobatan Batangay chairman
Ernesto Viias of giving unwar-
ranted advanage or Prefetence to
private defendaot Juan Viias bY
allowing the use of Iive city dumP
trucks to hau.l 6llhg matetials to
dqlatte€'sproperty.
Ptosecutots said the tucks as
well as their ddvec who were all
in the city paJ'roll peformed the
hauling and delivery of filling ma
terials for ftee.
During trial, howevet, the de-
fense clarified that the flling ma-
terials were the result of drcdgtng
works conducted by the DePart-
ment of Public Works and High-
ways and the city govetnment as
part of food-control Progtam.
a akons kaalam-alam aod it was
It oresented testimonv that it
*as ihe local government\ obli-
gation to dispose of t}te sand and
other materials accumulated by the
dredging works and that Private
defendant Juan Viftas even helPed
the city government by agreeing
that his propety be used for their
disposal.
"Based on the foregoing, the
Court finds that the ptosecution
failed to prove evident bad faith
or manifest partiality in the ac-
tionsof anv of r}le accused," the
Sandiganbayan said.
Othet than Leachon, also ac-
quined were Acedera aod Private
defendant Juan Vidas. The fourth
defendant, Ernesto Vidas died
during the pendency of the case.
Leaihon lamented that it took a
Frll decade to prove his innocence.
"Mabigat '1ung ganito . . . for the
last 10 years ... alam ko naman
simple case lang... wala naman
t^ken'ado^ntage of by Political
opponents at the time. MedYo
mahaba rin. Salamat sa koite at
salamat sa Panginoon, of course to
my lawyers. to my familY who have
been so suppottive all through-
out," he said.