THE Sandiganbayan has acquitted six former officials of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on multiple graft charges in relation to alleged anomalous procurement of training and testing tools totaling P279 million in 2007.
In its 60-page decision promulgated September 11, 2023, the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division held that former TESDA Bids and Awards Committee chair Teodoro Sanico and members Ernesto Beltran and Buen Mondejar, as well as BAC Secretariat members Juanito Belda, Francis Fang and Maximiano Montemayor were not the proper parties charged in the six information for violation of RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act filed in 2013.
“After a thorough examination of the evidence offered by both parties and following a careful evaluation of their respective arguments and submissions in support of their causes, this Court rules that the accused are entitled to an acquittal from all six charges levelled against them,” the Sandiganbayan ruled.
Associate Justice Kevin Narce B. Vivero penned the decision with concurrences from Associate Justices Sarah Jane T. Fernandez and Karl B. Miranda.
The six acquitted officials were named co-defendants of former TESDA director general Augusto Syjuco Jr., deputy director general Rogelio Peyuan, director Antonio del Rosario, and private defendant Vicente G. Roxas who all died before the court rendered its ruling.
The Sandiganbayan held that it was the TESDA Board, not the six officers of the TESDA BAC and its Secretariat, who entered into the contract agreements with VG Roxas Company Inc.
Prosecutors accused the defendants of entering into contracts that were “grossly and manifestly disadvantageous to the government” alleging that the tools and equipment purchased were overpriced by 4 to 42,732 percent, defective, have missing parts, of low quality, and have missing manuals making them unusable.
