The Sandiganbayan has ordered a 90-day preventive suspension of Aldrin C. Cuña, who currently serves as the executive vice president of the National Defense College of the Philippines, concerning a pending graft case filed against him during his tenure as Quezon City administrator.
The anti-graft court issued a six-page resolution on April 3, 2024, stating that the criminal charge against Cuña is “sufficient in form and substance,” thus necessitating the suspension as a procedural measure.
The resolution emphasized that preventive suspension is not a penalty and that acquitted officials are entitled to reinstatement and compensation for lost salaries and benefits.
This action comes as Cuña faces graft charges alongside former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista for allegedly favoring the contractor Cygnet in a P25.3 million project involving installing a solar power and waterproofing system for the city’s Civic Center Building.
Prosecutors allege that Aldrin Cuña, then Quezon City administrator, and former Mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista improperly paid Cygnet Energy and Power Asia, Inc. P25.3 million for a solar power system and waterproofing works for the city’s Civic Center Building. They claim Cygnet failed to obtain the necessary Net Metering System from Meralco as required.
Additionally, Cuña and Bautista face another case regarding the payment of over P32 million to Geodata Solutions Inc. for an online occupational permitting system, with allegations of lacking appropriate ordinance approval and incomplete product delivery.
Source: PhilNews24 | April 9, 2024
