Graft case vs former Cebu gov dismissed

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan Third Division has dismissed the graft case filed against former Cebu vice governor John Osmeña Jr.

In a 17-page resolution penned by Presiding Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr., the anti-graft court said Osmeña and his co-accused, Veronica Ceceres, had no participation in the release of P5 million to Perdido Lex Foundation, alleged to be a fictitious corporation.

“It was the provincial board of Cebu who effected the infamous accreditation of Perdido Lex . . . There is no mention whatsoever of any participation or involvement of the accused,” the resolution read.

The case stemmed from a complaint of the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas that Osmeña approved the release of money to Perdido Lex, despite it being non-existent.

The resolution said it was former governor Pablo Garcia who approved the memorandum of agreement between the provincial government and Perdido Lex.

“The mere presence of Osmeña’s signature in the disbursement vouchers does not suffice to indict him for graft because when he did, he was only acting in pursuance of the memorandum of agreement which was executed with full presumption of regularity,” the resolution said.

Osmeña could not be faulted whether or not Perdido Lex properly spent the cash released to them because he was not competent to do so, it added.