Ibinasura ng Sandiganbayan ang kasong graft at falsification laban kay dating Caloocan City Mayor Recom Echiverri at dalawa pang dating opisyal ng lungsod dahil sa kakulangan ng ebidensya.
Sa desisyong may petsang Oktubre 14 at nitong Huwebes lang isinapubliko, binanggit ng anti-graft court na inaprubahan nila ang mosyon na demurrer to evidence ng panig ni Echiverri na nagresulta sa pagkakabasura ng kasong 13 counts na paglabag sa Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) at 13 counts na
falsification of public documents.Kabilang sa pinawalang-sala sina dating Caloocan City accountant Edna Centeno at dating City Budget officer Jesusa Garcia.
Agusan del Sur, nilindol ng magnitude 5.3
Sa rekord ng kaso, nag-ugat ang usapin sa P1.5 milyong pathwalk at drainage repair project noong 2012 na nagresulta sa pagsasampa ng kaso laban sa tatlong akusado.
"Jurisprudence teaches that in every criminal conviction, the prosecution is required to prove two things beyond reasonable doubt: the fact of the commission of the crime charged, or the presence of all the elements of the offense; and the fact that the accused was the perpetrator of the crime. Unless these standards are unequivocally proven by the evidence submitted by the prosecution, the accused is entitled to an acquittal because he/she has in his/her favor the presumption of innocence which the Bill of Rights guarantees," pagbibigay-diin ng Sandiganbayan.
Isa sa pinagbatayan ng korte ang inilabas na audit report ng Commission on Audit (COA) noong Hunyo 15, 2017 na nagsasabing "walang nakitang irregularidad sa implementasyon ng proyekto."
"In these cases, the Court finds that the prosecution has failed to discharge the said burden. Thus, the Court is constrained to grant the accused's demurrer to evidence for lack of sufficient evidence to warrant their conviction of the crimes charged against them," ayon pa sa hukuman.
