Former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista and ex-City Administrator Aldrin Cuña entered pleas of not guilty for one of the two counts of graft leveled against them.
The charges were presented before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan on Thursday, May 18.
The graft case revolves around a contract valued at P32.2 million, which was awarded to Geodata Solutions, Incorporated for the acquisition of an online occupational permitting and tracking system.
During an interview with journalists, Bautista expressed his belief that the cases against them are driven by political motivations.
”Totoo naman [na] not guilty po tayo. Politically motivated [ang pag-file ng kaso],” he said.
”Nag-devote ka ng sarili mo sa mamamayan ng Quezon City for 34 years and then because of politics meroon tayong ganito,” the former actor-turned-politician lamented.
The second graft case arises from a contract worth P25.34 million that involved Cygnet for the installation of solar power and waterproofing systems in Civic Center Building F.
According to the Ombudsman, Bautista, and Cuña allegedly exhibited favoritism towards contractors Cygnet Energy and Power Asia, Incorporated, as well as Geodata Solutions, even though these entities failed to comply with required documentation and procedures.
This alleged action is in violation of Section 3 of Republic Act No. 3019, more commonly known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
