ILIGAN City ― In a decision rendered on January 27, the Sandiganbayan acquitted former city mayor Lawrence Ll. Cruz and other former city officials in a case involving “graft and corrupt practices.”
The decision was promulgated by the 3rd division of the Sandiganbayan with justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, presiding, it was learned.
The complainant of the said case is Atty. Dexter Rey Sumaoy who served as head of the General Services Division of the then administration of city mayor Celso G. Regencia.
The charges are in connection with the establishment of a south-bound bus and jeepney terminal at Camague, barangay Tubod of this city which alleged that the owner of said land used for the purpose of the said terminal was a “relative” of Cruz, and “there was no bidding” on the matter.
The other respondents of the case were former city councilors Roy Openiano, Bayani Areola, Providencio Abragan, Jr. Ariel Anghay, Riza Jane Magaro, Jose Zalsos, Marlene Young, Michelle Sweet, Moises Dalisay, Jr., and Frederick Siao. The latter is now the mayor of this city, while Abragan, Young, and Sweet have returned, being elected again as city councilors under the ticket of Siao.
In his statement in the wake of such a decision, Cruz stated his elation over the decision, saying among other things that “the truth shall set you free,” adding that during the promulgation of such, he was there, together with some of the other respondents, even as Sumaoy was there too.
Among other things, Cruz told reporters yesterday that the alleged relative who owned such lot used as the southbound terminal was already a “distant” relative and thus, the situation per their assessment, was already allowed by law.
The Commission on Audit too did not comment on the matter. And he added, after the establishment of such a terminal, the then-Regencia administration made use of it also. They only stopped using it, Cruz added, when the news on said matter got “hot” and so they (the Regencia administration) transferred the said terminal on the grounds of the National Steel Corporation. The said transferred terminal then was on muddy ground and there were even “no toilets” in the area.
“Precautionary procedures” were made before they implemented such matters as studying the move as during that time it was really imperative that another terminal had to be established because of the traffic congestion. He admitted though that “there was no bidding on the matter.”
He added too that the witnesses too for the prosecution turned out to be favorable to them. He did not elaborate.
For his part, city mayor Frederick Siao, said that with the decision, a “thorn had been taken out”' from him, and thus, he could concentrate more on governance and serving the city.
Openiano, for his part, told reporters emphatically, saying, “grabe!” With such a case, he said, his retirement money went to “expenses related to the matter” thereby leaving the leaking roof on his house “unrepaired.”
Sumaoy resigned from his post shortly before the 2022 elections.
