The Supreme Court (SC) has acquitted ranking officials of the
Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) in Cagayan de Oro City who were charged for seizing three container vans bound for Japan.
Acquitted of the charges for violation of Section 2203 of the Tariff and Customs Code were Sr. Supt. Raul Basilio Donida Boac, Inspector Ramon Betuin Golong, SPO2 Cesar Fantone Beltran, SPO2 Roger Alcantara Basadre and SPO1 Benjamin Castañeda Alfonso.
The decision of the SC Second Division, in effect, reversed the ruling of the Sandiganbayan penalizing the accused with imprisonment of one year and disqualification from holding any government office.
The latter were also deprived of the right of suffrage and to run for any elective position for a period of 10 years.
The SC said that the anti-graft court erred in meting out the punishment because the accused were able to establish that they only did their duty and to ensure that no smuggling activities would take place within their jurisdiction. - PNA
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