By Benjamin Pulta
MANILA – The Sandiganbayan has junked a graft case filed against a former Isabela State University (ISU) president Aleth Mamauag, in connection with the alleged anomalous purchase of a PHP5.1 million piece of lot in 2012.
The anti-graft court’s Second Division, in a resolution dated March 12, ruled for the dismissal of the case that emanated from an anonymous complaint.
The complaint cited that the property purchased was for PHP6.2 million, with PHP5.1 million of which had been partially paid, but the ISU Board of Regents had authorized only PHP4.5 million.
In her defense, Mamauag claimed the acquisition of the property was through the collegial act of the Board of Regents and not solely at her behest.
She added that the increase in price was because of the acquisition of a bigger property.
In granting the demurrer to evidence seeking the dismissal of the case, the court noted that there had been no evidence presented that the accused acted in bad faith or had strong-armed the Board of Regents into consenting to her unilateral whims or had duped the government through a scheme of bad faith.
“Nothing like this was present. The testimonies were too unspecific,” the court said.
The court said, “safeguard mechanisms allow the Board of Regents to reject proposals or actively question Mamauag.”
“However, none of the witnesses even dared to question the accused. This means that the questioned actions, good or bad, are to be credited to the group. A group resolution is a group decision.” (PNA)
