Ex-Napolcom officialacquitted of bribery, breach of conduct

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has cleared former National Police Commission (Napolcom)-Zamboanga peninsula director Macapado Guro of bribery and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

“The evidence adduced by the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused,” the anti-graft court’s second division said in a decision promulgated on Feb. 19.

Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2017, the cases stemmed from Guro’s alleged receipt of P10,000 from police officers Ryan Mariano and Arvin Serra in exchange for terminating an investigation into their alleged failure to attend court hearings in connection with the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition charges filed against a certain Ricardo Bentain. 

Mariano and Serra were the arresting officers of Bentain.

The second division said the  prosecution failed to establish that Guro was aware that the money handed to him by Mariano and Serra was in exchange for the dropping of the investigation.

Guro said Mariano gave him two P500-bills and when he asked what the money was for, the latter replied “sir, pang-kape.”

Guro said he was returning the money to Mariano when the police officer arrested him in what appeared to be an entrapment.

“No credible evidence was adduced in support of the allegation that Guro agreed to refrain from conducting an investigation with regard Mariano and Serra’s failure to attend the scheduled court hearings,” the court ruling read.

The court also cited inconsistencies in the amount supposedly received by Guro  as the prosecution claimed that he received P10,000.