J.Lo: Life as a señorita - SOUNDS FAMILIAR By Baby A. Gil

The Sandiganbayan has acquitted a former public prosecutor for demanding and accepting P1,000 as attorney’s fees while serving as public prosecutor in Caloocan in 1998.

In a decision handed down by the First Division under presiding Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, the court acquitted Manuel Ubaldo of the crime of direct bribery for “failure of the prosecution to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.”

The criminal case arose from a complaint filed by Zenaida Rendon, who claimed Ubaldo had demanded P500 from her on two occasions as attorney’s fee for the prosecution of a criminal case where she was the complainant.

Rendon filed the case when Ubaldo was a regular prosecutor at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Caloocan City. The court issued an order of arrest against him on Dec. 8, 2000.

In its decision, the court said the prosecution fell short of proving that Ubaldo indeed demanded and actually received money from Rendon as attorney’s fees.

The court also relieved Ubaldo of any civil liability since Rendon failed to fully establish that she indeed gave money to Ubaldo.