Sandiganbayan acquits ex-PNP chief Verzosa

(UPDATES) FORMER Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jesus Verzosa on Friday was acquitted by the Sandiganbayan over a controversial chopper deal in 2009.

A ruling by the anti-graft court's Seventh Division, penned by Associate Justice Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta, cleared Verzosa and several former officials of the PNP over the anomalous purchase of two standard Robinson R44 Raven II helicopters with Serial Numbers 1372 and 1374.

Several other former PNP officials — including Tuguegarao Mayor Jefferson Soriano, Ermilando Villafuerte, Roman Loreto, George Plano, Luis Saligumba, Job Nolan Antonio, Edgar Pataan, Ma. Josefina Recometa, Claudio Gaspar Jr., Ma. Linda Padojnog, Avensuel Go Dy and Ruben Sarabillo Gongona were also acquitted.

However, five of the accused have been convicted and are sentenced from six to eight years in prison, along with perpetual disqualification from office.

Those convicted include former police officials Luizo Ticman, Ronald Roderos, Romeo Hilomen, and Leocadio Santiago Jr., along with Hilario de Vera, who was president and managing head of Manila Aerospace Products Trading (Maptra).

They are all ordered to jointly pay P11,377,153.23 per unit of Robinson R44 Raven II helicopters with 6 percent interest per year.

Additionally, Roderos was convicted of falsifying documents under Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code and will also receive a separate sentence of a maximum of eight years of imprisonment with a P5,000 fine.

Also, the ruling states that the «chopper scam» that riled the PNP in 2011 for their purchase of two standard helicopters centered on the complicity of former first gentleman Juan Miguel «Mike» Arroyo, as those helicopters were his property.

«Dangling on a conspiracy angle, the prosecution theorized that these two helicopters were previously owned by Atty. Arroyo. As a matter of fact, nine out of 13 prosecution witnesses centered on his ownership of the second-hand helicopters,» the ruling further states.

Back in 2022, the Sandiganbayan already junked graft charges against the former first gentleman on the chopper deal, citing a Supreme Court ruling that the anti-graft court and the Office of the