Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 14) — The Sandiganbayan has dismissed graft cases against former senator and current Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan III and his co-accused over alleged misuse of tens of million pesos in pork barrel funds intended for a livelihood project for Muslim communities.
The anti-graft court’s second division granted the motion to dismiss the evidence filed by Honasan along with project coordinator Michael Benjamin and National Council on Muslim Affairs officials Mehol Sadain, Fedelina Aldanese, Olga Galido, Giovanni Gaerlan, Galay Makalinggan, and Aurora Aragon-Mabang.
“[T]he evidence of the prosecution failed to sufficiently establish the elements of the crime charged and to overcome the presumption of innocence in favor of the accused,” the decision read.
The Sandiganbayan issued the said individuals an arrest warrant in August 2017 over Honasan’s alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel in 2012. The Ombusdman then said he authorized the payment of ₱29.1 million to non-government organization Focus Development Goals Foundations Inc. in two tranches without adhering to rules on procurement.
With the NCMF as implementing agency, Honasan was supposed to allocate his PDAF to funding livelihood projects for Muslim communities.
The Ombudsman dismissed Honasan’s co-accused from public service in 2017.
The court likewise lifted and set aside hold departure orders it previously issued against the accused while bail bonds they posted, if any, were ordered released subject to usual accounting and auditing procedures.
Honasan has denied the allegations, saying he is “completely innocent” of the charges filed against him.
CNN Philippines’ AC Nicholls and Glee Jalea contributed to this report.
Sandiganbayan junks graft case against former Senator Gringo Honasan, who is now the secretary of DICT, over the alleged misuse of pork barrel. Anti-graft court says state prosecutors failed to prove the alleged crime | @AC_Nicholls pic.twitter.com/bso1nDJSIC
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) January 14, 2021
