By Benjamin Pulta
MANILA – The Sandiganbayan has turned down former police officer Eduardo P. Acierto’s appeal in connection with his conviction as a co-accused in multiple graft cases arising from the illegal release and sale of AK-47 assault rifles in 2012.
In a resolution dated Feb. 18, the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division denied Acierto’s motion for reconsideration on the graft court’s December 2025 ruling convicting him and others, including former PNP Firearms and Explosives chief Senior Supt. Raul Petrasanta.
“To date, accused Acierto has not surrendered to the Court. Thus, he has not regained standing in court when he filed his previous motion for reconsideration, as well as the second motion for reconsideration,” the resolution read.
“There being no motion for reconsideration or notice of appeal filed within the reglementary period, the Court’s judgment has now become final and executory as to accused Acierto,” it added.
The graft court said the controversial police officer’s failure to appear during the promulgation of the assailed decision on Dec. 5, 2025 “was unjustified.”
“As pointed out by the prosecution, he did not even ask the Court to be allowed to appear during the said hearing via videoconference,” the court said.
Before his graft cases, Acierto was implicated in the 2018 smuggling of PHP11-billion worth of methamphetamine (shabu) concealed in magnetic lifters.
In his second motion for reconsideration, Acierto claimed that he had been in hiding since 2018 not to evade prosecution, but to not expose himself to forces that offered a bounty on him after he submitted an intelligence report identifying close associates of former President Rodrigo Duterte as major players in the drug trade. (PNA)
