Kalinga governor cleared of graft

TABUK, Kalinga — The Sandiganbayan’s first division has cleared Kalinga Gov. Dominador Belac, along with three other provincial officials, of graft in a seven-year-old case stemming from the purchase of a Nissan Safari.

Former vice governor Jocel Baac accused Belac, provincial treasurer Juan Boguen, budget officer Noe Dannang and acting accountant Thomas Tubban of falsifying public documents to certify that funds were available for the purchase of the Nissan Safari for the governor’s use in 1998.

But the anti-graft court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove that Belac and his co-respondents were guilty beyond reasonable doubt. — Artemio Dumlao