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THE PHILIPPINES’ anti-graft court has overturned the guilty verdict of government engineers accused of falsifying documents in connection with a Tacloban road project in 2004, citing weak evidence against them.

In a 15-page decision, dated March 11, the Sandiganbayan Second Division said that state prosecutors failed to provide compelling evidence against the Public Works department personnel.

State prosecutors charged the government engineers and a private individual with falsification of public documents and graft, stemming from the rehabilitation of a Tacloban road in 2004.

In 2024, the respondents were accused of conniving to declare the project 100% accomplished even when it is only 16.04% completed. The respondents allegedly falsified a document that made it appear the payment has been disbursed to the contractor, noting the accused were well aware they lacked the complete and proper documents.   

The Tacloban court meted out a total maximum prison sentence of 14 years and was ordered to pay back the state P3.34 million worth of alleged damages to the government.

“The court a quo should have not relied on the findings based on the Inspection Report, whose author expressly admitted the uncertainty of what he observed as compared to with what the contract pertaining to the road project,” the ruling, penned by Associate Justice Edgardo M. Caldona, stated.

The Sandiganbayan ruled that prosecutors failed to present evidence aside from the cited inspection report, which did not sufficiently substantiate the charge of document falsification.

“There was no falsification of the SWA (Statement of Work Accomplished) committed… contrary to the findings of the court a quo who merely relied on the Inspection Report which, as it turned out, was not squarely based on the application provisions… it cited,” the ruling said.

The anti-graft court added that the failure of the prosecution to prove the accused’s falsification of documents weakened their argument for graft, entitling them an acquittal and reversal of the initial Tacloban court’s decision. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio