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Sandiganbayan junks graft case vs suspended Antique governor

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Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Sandiganbayan has junked a graft case against suspended Antique governor Rhodora Cadiao after it found that the regional trial court has jurisdiction over the case.In a resolution dated Oct. 20, 2023, the anti-graft court’s Seventh Division also lifted Cadiao’s 90-day preventive suspension and ordered the release of her cash bond worth P90,000.The Sandiganbayan suspended Cadiao on Sept. 21 following the filing of a graft complaint against her over her non-payment of P1.66 million worth of salaries, representation and travel allowance and other benefits to Antonio Dela Vega.Dela Vega was head of the Antique Provincial General Services Office but Cadiao ordered his reassignment to the Culasi Satellite Office from July 2016 to February 2018, a move that the Civil Service Commission invalidated.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/03/22/tulong-hiling-ng-antique-matapos-ma-isolate">Antique gov nanawagan ng tulong matapos ma-isolate ang probinsya</a></li></ul>The information or criminal charge accused Cadiao of taking advantage of her position and criminally causing undue injury to Dela Vega, under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.But Cadiao, in her latest bid to have the case dismissed, argued that the lack of any allegation of damage to the government means the case should be tried by the regional trial court, following a new law, Republic Act No. 10060, which amended the Sandiganbayan’s jurisdiction.She also raised Dela Vega’s filing of an affidavit of desistance which confirmed that he has been paid. In a 16-page resolution penned by Seventh Division chair Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta, the anti-graft court granted Cadiao’s motion.“A reading of the Information would further show that it is only to private complainant Antonio A. Dela Vega that the damage was alleged to have been caused to. In no particular instance, neither directly nor inferred, can it be said that there was an allegation of damage to the government,” the resolution said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/13/20/cargo-vessel-sumadsad-sa-karagatan-ng-antique">Cargo vessel sumadsad sa karagatan ng Antique</a></li></ul>“With the amendment introduced under R.A. 10660, jurisdiction over the subject matter is transferred to the Regional Trial Court, having provided, in effect:…the Regional Trial Court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction where the information: (a) does not allege any damage to the government or any bribery…,” it added.Associate Justices Zaldy Trespeses and Georgina Hidalgo concurred in the ruling.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2855383" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The information or criminal charge accused Cadiao of taking advantage of her position and criminally causing undue injury. 

Sandiganbayan junks graft case vs suspended Antique governor

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Sandiganbayan junks graft case vs suspended Antique governor

Mike Navallo,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 26, 2023 12:47 PM PHT

|

Updated October 26, 2023 03:40 PM PHT

Read More:

Sandiganbayan

Dela Vega

Antique

Antonio Dela Vega

Antique governor Rhodora Cadiao

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