The Sandiganbayan has convicted former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista and his former city administrator Aldrin Cuña of graft related to a PHP32-million project for an Online Occupational Permitting Tracking System in 2019. The court’s 146-page decision, released on Monday, sentenced both officials to a maximum of 10 years in prison. The project, intended to streamline city hall processes, saw a payment of PHP32 million made to Geodata Solutions Inc., despite lacking City Council approval and full delivery confirmation from the supplier. Following their conviction, Bautista and Cuña are permanently barred from public office. The court did not impose fines on the duo, as the public funds were fully received by the private company, which was not involved in the legal proceedings. The decision, authored by Associate Justice Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta and supported by Associate Justices Zaldy Trespeses and Georgina Hidalgo, clarified that no civil liability would be assigned to the accused since the funds were already disbursed to the private entity. Herbert Bautista had served as mayor of Quezon City for three terms from 2010 to 2019.
Former Quezon City Mayor and Aide Convicted of Graft Over PHP32-Million Project
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