Acosta pleads not guilty in graft cases

MANILA, Philippines – Former Bukidnon Rep. Nereus Acosta pleaded not guilty to graft charges before the Sandiganbayan yesterday morning and claimed that the case is just political harassment.

He presented himself before the anti-graft court’s Fourth Division where he would face trial for allegedly defrauding the government of P10.5 million worth of public funds.

Acosta’s case involves the alleged illegal transfer of a Solar Tunnel Dryer worth P2.5 million from the municipality of Talakag to Manolo Fortich and its subsequent use and management by the Bukidnon Integrated Network of Home Industries, Inc. (BINHI).

He is also accused of allegedly releasing public funds to the private entity (BINHI) amounting to P2.5 million and releasing public funds amounting to P5.5 million to the Bukidnon Vegetables Producers Cooperative (BVPC), another private entity.

The Office of the Ombudsman announced the filing of the graft charges against Acosta on Feb. 25, 2009, five days before the former congressman became instrumental in the filing of the first impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez before the House of Representatives.

The former congressman’s mother Socorro, a former mayor of the municipality of Manolo Fortich, and his aunt Ma. Nemia Bornidor who is a member of the Board of Trustees, were also charged in the case.

Acosta, who ran for senator under President Aquino’s ticket during the May 2010 elections, said he would submit to the judicial process in his effort to clear his name.

He said the case against him is politically motivated considering that he supported the impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Gutierrez in 2009, which was junked by the House for being insufficient in substance.

Gutierrez told a press conference yesterday afternoon that Acosta’s claims that the filing of the case against him is politically motivated is untrue, stressing that the Office of the Ombudsman files cases on the basis of law and evidence alone.

Deputy Special Prosecutor Jesus Micael said Acosta was arraigned ahead of his mother and his aunt, who will be arraigned next week, because he had a request to be allowed by the court to travel.

“It is standard procedure in court that the respondent be arraigned first when there is a request for a permit to travel,” he told The STAR.