Malampaya graft case: Alfonso Cusi, ex-DOE execs' arraignment reset
MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has deferred the arraignment of former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and several former Department of Energy (DOE) officials on graft charges tied to the Malampaya gas project.
Cusi’s arraignment, originally scheduled Wednesday, October. 1, was reset to November 7 after the anti-graft court granted the prosecution’s motion to amend the information against him and his co-accused, lawyer Ruy Rondain confirmed to Philstar.com.
The pre-marking of evidence is set for November 4, 5 and 6, according to the court’s schedule.
Cusi, along with former undersecretaries Donato Dionisio Marcos and Robert Biron Uy, Assistant Secretary Leonido Jimenez Pulido III, and Director Cesar Gaba dela Fuente III, each posted P90,000 bail on Sept. 10.
They are facing charges for violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019), the Ombudsman’s Office of the Special Prosecutor said.
Malampaya controversy
The Ombudsman began investigating Cusi and other DOE officials in 2022 over the sale of Malampaya gas project shares. The probe stemmed from a Senate Committee on Energy report alleging the DOE improperly rushed approval of Chevron Malampaya’s $545-million sale of its 45% stake to UC Malampaya, a Udenna Corp. subsidiary.
The Ombudsman initially dismissed the complaint in 2022 for lack of evidence but reversed its ruling in 2024, citing sufficient probable cause to pursue indictment.
Records show the case was filed at the Sandiganbayan on August 28.
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