The accused allegedly bribed a police officer to not pursue frustrated murder charges against two people.

The Sandiganbayan has dismissed the motions of a prosecutor and lawyer to challenge the evidence in the graft charges filed against them.

In a resolution promulgated on 1 October, the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division said the evidence against Zamboanga Deputy City Prosecutor Roselyn Murillo-Mamon and lawyer Pherham Saiddi is sufficient to prove their guilt in allegedly bribing a complainant not to pursue frustrated murder case against Phon Mohammad and Dadoh Mohammad.

“After a thorough review of the records of the case and the evidence submitted by the Prosecution, the Court finds that, if unrebutted, the same is sufficient to support a verdict of guilt for violation of Section 3 (e) of R.A. No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” read the resolution denying the Motion for Leave to File Demurrer to Evidence filed by Mamon and Saiddi.

Based on the information filed by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan, Mamon and Saiddi were caught in an entrapment operation in 2013 handing to Police Officer II Flavin Enriquez an envelope containing P200,000 in exchange for his desistance from testifying against the two frustrated murder suspects.

The Ombudsman said the respondents’ act gave Phon and Dadoh “unwarranted benefits, advantage and preference, and subverting the ends of justice.”

In his Motion for Leave to File Demurrer to Evidence, Saiddi claimed that the evidence against him is insufficient to support a conviction for the charges against him.

Saiddi also alleged that the prosecution failed to prove that he was the counsel of Phon and Dadoh and that he conspired with accused Mamon in the commission of the said acts.

Mamon, in her manifestation, adopted Saiddi’s motion for Leave to File Demurrer to Evidence.

Associate Justice Karl Miranda penned the decision with the concurrence of Associate Justices Sarah Jane Fernandez and Kevin Narce Vivero.