The Sandiganbayan has acquitted former officials of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) over alleged anomalies in the 2009 procurement of mahogany saplings and garden tools.
In a 131-page decision released Monday, the anti-graft court cleared former PRA deputy general manager Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Lingat (ret.) and 12 others, citing the prosecution’s failure to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The officials had been accused of splitting disbursement vouchers and checks to skirt approval limits, and of overpricing the PHP1.65-million purchase of saplings used for tree-planting in Metro Manila and Cainta. A separate charge involving PHP600,000 worth of garden tools was also dropped.
The Commission on Audit earlier flagged the project, saying the PRA could have saved PHP1.3 million by coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for free seedlings.
Meanwhile, the Sandiganbayan also acquitted former Cabugao, Ilocos Sur municipal engineer Jose Suboc of graft and malversation in connection with a PHP1.4-million farm-to-market road project in 2010.
The court ruled that evidence was insufficient, noting that a witness inspection covered only one of four road segments and lacked photos or documentation. It also stressed that the project had been accepted by the barangay and remains in use.
Suboc’s co-accused — former mayor Diocaesar Suero, planning coordinator Florante Jara, and businessman Nestor Ibarra — were acquitted in 2022.