REELECTED Muntinlupa city mayor Ruffy Biazon intends to seek a reversal of the Sandiganbayan decision issued last May 30, 2025 that convicted him of one count of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019).
Lawyer Mitchell David Espiritu, spokesperson for Biazon, said the mayor respects the ruling of the anti-graft court but is prepared to contest its findings in all legal avenues available to him. Biazon posted Espiritu’s statement on his official Facebook page.
In a 191-page decision, the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division held that it was unlawful for Biazon as then congressman of the lone district of Muntinlupa City to choose and endorse the Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. (PSDFI) to implement livelihood projects funded by P3 million of his pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance (PDAF) allocations in 2007.
The court held that the former lawmaker’s letter to Technology Resource Center(TRC) choosing PSDFI to be the lead implementing agency was “not a mere recommendation” as it “practically supplanted the role of the TRC as implementing agency.”
Likewise convicted together with Biazon were former TRC deputy director general Dennis Cunanan, Technology and Information Dissemination Group manager Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, PSDFI president Evelyn de Leon, and alleged PDAF scam brain Janet Napoles.
They were all sentenced to imprisonment for six to eight years with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
Co-accused officials of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) were acquitted.
Biazon said he was surprised by the guilty verdict since he was already acquitted of a separate charge of malversation of public funds in the same decision.
Earlier, the court likewise cleared him of any liability in bribery and money laundering charges also in connection with the PDAF transactions.
“Three of the four cases filed against him were thrown out, one by the Office of the Ombudsman and two by the Sandiganbayan. We are hopeful that like in the dismissed cases, Mayor Ruffy will also be exonerated. We understand that this is part of due process and we are prepared to exhaust all legal remedies. We will file a motion for reconsideration,” Espiritu said.
At the same time, Biazon’s camp clarified that the ruling is not yet final, hence appealable.
“This decision is not yet final. According to our laws, Mayor Ruffy will continue to wield the authority of his office and he will continue to serve in such capacity based on the fresh mandate given to him by the people of Muntinlupa,” his spokesperson said.
