EX-QC MAYOR HERBERT BAUTISTA ACQUITTED OF GRAFT CHARGE

THE Sandiganbayan on Friday acquitted former Quezon City mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista of graft charge in connection with the P25.3 million solar power and waterproofing contract for a city building in 2019..

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Ronald Moreno, Bautista was found not guilty for “failure of the prosecution to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.”

Bautista, who was present during the promulgation, was in tears after the acquittal but declined to speak to reporters.

The hold departure order issued against the actor-turned-politician was lifted.

However, the Anti-graft Court convicted former city administrator Aldrin C. Cuña of the same charge and sentenced him to six to eight years imprisonment.

Cuña is also perpetually disqualified from holding public office and will not be entitled to retirement benefits.

Bautista and Cuña were accused of making the full payment of P25,342,359.25 to Cygnet Energy and Power Asia Inc. for the supply and installation of Solar Power System and Waterproofing Works for the Quezon City Civic Center Building.

According to the prosecution, Cygnet was not entitled to the full payment for failure of the firm to get from the Manila Electric Company a Net Metering System which was a requirement of the Supply and Delivery Agreement.

It was Cuña who signed the acknowledgment receipts for equipment and initialed the disbursement voucher even if there was an apparent lack of net metering permit.

Bautista and Cuña were earlier found guilty of graft in relation to an anomalous P32-million process automation system for the QC hall.