Sandigan junks P49.5 million graft case vs Echiverri

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has dismissed the 13 counts of graft filed against former Caloocan City mayor Enrico “Recom” Echiverri in connection with infrastructure projects worth P49.556 million undertaken during his term in 2011.

In a 70-page resolution promulgated on Oct. 14, the anti-graft court’s Third Division granted the respective demurrers to evidence filed by Echiverri and the other respondents, former city accountant Edna Centeno and former city budget officer Jesusa Garcia, which sought the dismissal of the graft cases on the ground of the weakness of evidence presented by ombudsman prosecutors.

The court also granted the demurrers to evidence filed by Centeno and Garcia seeking the dismissal of the 13 counts of falsification of public documents filed against them.

Echiverri was named respondent only in the graft cases.

The ruling was penned by Third Division chairperson and Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, with the concurrence of Associate Justices Bernelito Fernandez and Ronald Moreno.

Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2017 and 2018, the cases stemmed from the awarding of contracts for 13 infrastructure projects with a total amount of P49.556 million.

The ombudsman said the contracts were awarded without authorization and budget allocation from the city council, required under the Local Government Code.

Ombudsman prosecutors said Centeno and Garcia falsified Allotment and Obligation Slips to make it appear that the city council allocated a budget for each project.