THE Sandiganbayan has junked separate motions filed by former Sarangani governor Miguel Escobar and his co-defendants asking leave of court to seek outright dismissal of graft and malversation charges filed against them by the Office of the Ombudsman.
Declaring that allowing the defendants to file demurrers to evidence would unnecessarily prolong the proceedings, the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division ordered the defense to start its presentation of evidence on January 18, 2022 unless the accused should opt to file their demurrer to evidence even without leave of court.
“After an examination of the prosecution’s evidence and the arguments in the accused’s Motions, this Court rules that granting the accused leave to file their demurrers to evidence will merely delay the proceedings,” the court said.
Associate Justice and Sixth Division chairperson Sarah Jane T. Fernandez penned the resolution promulgated December 6, 2021 concurred in by Associate Justices Karl B. Miranda and Kevin Narce B. Vivero.
Based on the information filed in 2018, Escobar was accused of conspiracy with officials of the Department of Agriculture — Regional Field Unit 12 and representatives of Workers Cooperative of the Philippines (WCP), a non-government organization, in the anomalous usage of P5 million fertilizer funds intended for farmers in the province.
Named as respondents from DA-Region 12 were provincial executive director Sumail Sekak, director Mustapha Ismael, chief administrative officer Abdulwazab Bayao, and accountant Estrella Sabay. Charged as private defendants from the NGO were Arthur Aller and Rommel Saraosos.
