THE Sandiganbayan, the Philippines’ anti-graft court, has found former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista and his former city administrator, Aldrin Cuña, guilty of graft in connection with the P32 million Online Occupational Permitting and Tracking System (OOPTS) project in 2019.
In a decision released on Monday, January 20, Bautista and Cuña were sentenced to imprisonment of six to ten years. They were also barred from holding any government positions.
The Sandiganbayan ruled that the OOPTS lacked essential functionality, particularly the inability for the public to access it online despite its intended purpose. The court highlighted that the system, even after being revised into a “Hybrid System” and launched in late 2021, did not fulfill its primary objective of online occupational permitting.
Despite the system’s shortcomings, Bautista and Cuña approved payment to the Geodata contractor before the service was fully operational. The court argued that Bautista should have deferred payment and allowed the succeeding mayor to thoroughly evaluate the system before releasing funds.
The Sandiganbayan concluded that Bautista’s approval of payment while the system was incomplete constituted an unwarranted benefit to Geodata, violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).
While the court did not impose a fine on Bautista and Cuña, it noted that the P32 million public funds were received by the private company, which was not a party to the case.
Bautista, who was charged in 2023, had previously claimed that the case against him was politically motivated. He asserted his dedication to Quezon City during his 34 years of service, but did not identify any individuals behind the alleged attack.
Associate Justice Theresa Dolores Estoesta, who penned the decision, stated that Bautista and Cuña remain under “provisional liberty” due to the cash bond they previously posted with the court.
metrosundaily
