MANILA — Former Rizal governor Casimiro Ynares, Jr. was acquitted by the Sandigabayan of 4 counts of graft in relation to the purchase of fertilizers for the province in 2004.

In a decision promulgated on Oct. 7, the Sandigabayan Third Division acquitted Ynares, as well as former officers Cecilia Almajose, Danilo Rumbawa, Eugene Durusan, Victorina Olea, Eduardo Torres, Virgilio Esguerra and Feshan representative Mallyne Araos due to the failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Graft charges were filed against the officials and Araos for supposedly conspiring for the purchase of allegedly overpriced Bio Nature Liquid Organic Fertilizers totaling P1.8 million and P1.7 million in 2004 and 2005.

“After an assiduous assessment of the pieces of evidence presented by the prosecution in these cases, the court finds that the prosecution has failed to sufficiently establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt for the crimes charged,” the court said in the decision penned by Presiding Justice and Division Chairperson Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, with the concurrence of Associate Justices Bernelito Gernandez and Ronald Moreno.

The prosecution asserted during trial, among others, that there were other cheaper fertilizers available in the market compared to Feshan's.

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But the court noted that there was lack of evidence to sufficiently establish overpricing and that no notice of disallowance was issued by the Commission on Audit with respect to the transactions.

“As such, it cannot be concluded that the Bio Nature purchases were disadvantageous to the government because no determination was made by the prosecution to show that the prices at which they were bought by the Province of Rizal were at a disadvantage that was so manifest and gross as to make a public official liable,” the court said.

The court also ordered that the release of the bail bonds of the accused and the lifting of the hold departure orders against them.