By Carmelo Redencion Jr 
QUEZON CITY, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan has convicted former Quezon City Mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista and his former city administrator, Aldrin Cuña, of graft in connection with the 2019 procurement of an Online Occupational Permitting Tracking System (OOPTS).
In a 32-page decision, the anti-graft court sentenced both Bautista and Cuña to imprisonment ranging from six to ten years. Additionally, they are perpetually disqualified from holding public office as a consequence of their conviction.
The case stemmed from the payment of ₱32.1 million to Geodata Solutions, Inc. for the OOPTS project. The Office of the Ombudsman alleged that Bautista entered into a contract with Geodata and approved the release of payment despite the absence of a specific budget appropriation ordinance enacted by the city council. Furthermore, it was claimed that full payment was made without the complete delivery of the project.
Throughout the proceedings, Bautista sought the dismissal of the case, citing violations of his constitutional right to a speedy disposition of cases. However, the Sandiganbayan denied these motions, stating that the length of time taken by the Ombudsman to complete its preliminary investigation was not deemed “vexatious, capricious, or oppressive.”
This conviction underscores the government’s commitment to holding public officials accountable for actions that undermine public trust and misuse public funds.