By
Raymund Catindig
TUGUEGARAO
CITY, Cagayan – The Sandiganbayan has acquitted a former mayor of this
city in connection with the demolition of a public market in 2008.
In a 22-page decision
penned by Justice Samuel Martires, the anti-graft court said there was “no
manifest partiality, evident bad faith, or gross inexcusable negligence” on the
part of Delfin Ting when he implemented a city council resolution to demolish
the market.
“The demolition of the
old market is indispensable in the implementation of the upgrading project. The
approved building design for the upgrade cannot be done without totally tearing
down the old market,” the court ruling stated.
Engineer Robert
Guzman, who filed the case, said the demolition was disadvantageous to the city
government.
He said the city
council approved only the upgrading of the market and not its demolition.
Guzman added that the
project was approved to benefit Ting’s hotel across the market.
However, the court
said Ting could not be solely held liable for the demolition when the council
knew the design of the market.
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