THE PHILIPPINES’ anti-graft court acquitted former Vice-President (VP) Jejomar C. Binay, Sr. and ex-Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin S. Binay, Jr. of graft charges in connection to the P1.3-billion Makati City Science High School contract, granting their dismissal request.

In an 86-page resolution issued on Dec. 13, the Sandiganbayan Special Fifth Division granted the demurrer to evidence against the Binays and their co-accused, citing lack of evidence against them.

“The prosecution’s evidence utterly failed to prove all the charges,” a part of the resolution penned by Associate Justice Rafael R. Lagos stated.

“The prosecution only propounded bare, unsubstantiated allegations that it was Binay, Sr. who ordered the rigging of the procurement process… and it was Binay, Jr. who intervened and agreed to the falsification of the other documents,” it added.

The Binays faced complaints over “alleged irregularities” in the procurement of P17.4-million architectural and engineering services and P1.33-billion construction services for the 10-story Makati Science High School building.

The anti-graft court said the prosecution relied on witnesses without direct knowledge of the allegations, weakening their case.

“All the purported key witnesses for the prosecution had a critical flaw: they lacked direct, first-hand knowledge of the truth regarding the charges against all of the accused,” the ruling read.

State prosecutors also failed to show that the accused acted in “bad faith” in the procurement of construction services for the school building, the court stated.

“The prosecution evidence is bereft of proof that [the] accused, in the performance of their respective functions… had acted in evident bad faith,” it stated in the ruling. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio