FORMER Quezon City mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista and former city administrator Aldrin Cuña yesterday pleaded “Not Guilty” during their arraignment for a graft charge before the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division.
The two were named co-defendants by the Office of the Ombudsman on a charge of violation of Section 3 (e) of RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in connection to the P32.108 million contract awarded to Geodata Solutions Inc. in 2019 to set up an online occupational permitting and tracking system.
Prosecutors said the contract had no specific appropriation ordinance from the Sangguniang Panlungsod and that Geodata failed to make a full delivery of the project.
Cuña’s lawyer tried to ask the court to reset the arraignment on the ground of his pending motion to quash but this was overruled by the court due to failure to timely serve a copy to the prosecution.
Off-court after the proceedings, Bautista told reporters that the charges came as a surprise.
He explained that this was the first time he was hauled to court in connection with his public office despite having served 34 years in various posts as a city official.
“Oh yes, of course, (I was surprised). Nag-devote ka ng sarili mo sa serbisyo sa mga mamamayan ng Quezon City for 34 years then because of politics, meron tayong ganito (I devoted 34 years of my life to public service in Quezon City then because of politics, there is this case),” he lamented.
Without mentioning any name, Bautista said he believes that the case was pushed by his opponents in local politics.
“Obvious naman politically motivated. Quezon City government ang nagkaso sa akin dito.
Sa mga mamamayan ng Quezon City nagtrabaho ako ng napakatagal dyan. Ito lang ang unang kasong makuha ko. Hopefully wala na (It is obvious this was politically motivated. It was the Quezon City government which filed the case. For the residents of Quezon City, I worked hard and long. This is the first case filed against me. Hopefully, this is the last),” he said.
Bautista and Cuna are facing a second graft case before the court’s Third Division concerning the P25.34 million solar power system contract with Cygnet Energy and Power Asia Inc.
