Cagayan school head gets 10 years for graft

TUGUEGARAO CITY -- A former president of the Cagayan State University here was convicted by the Sandiganbayan for violation of  Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt and Practices Act), and sentenced to six to 10 years of imprisonment, and perpetual disqualification from public office.

The anti-graft court’s Fifth Division found Armando B. Cortes guilty beyond reasonable doubt for graft for anomalous purchase of P1.2 million worth of computer system in 1996.

The decision was penned by Fifth Division Associate Justice Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang with the concurrence of Associate Justices Roland B. Jurado and Alexander G. Gesmundo.

But in the second graft case, the anti-graft court acquitted Cortes and his  co-accused namely Joseph Acorda, former CSU vice president for administrative affairs and chairman of the pre-qualification, bids, and awards committee, and private defendant Orlino Rabara for failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Records showed that in the first graft case, Cortes and Bienvenido Bernardino, who was then the internal control auditor, both of Cagayan State University, in conspiracy with accused Rabara entered into a contract with ACI Aneco Computers, Inc for the purchase of P1.2 million worth of computer system without bidding or canvass.