A former barangay chairman from Caloocan City, who was found guilty by the lower court of misappropriating P1.6 million in public funds in 23 instances, was cleared of charges by the Sandiganbayan due to the merit of her arguments.

The anti-graft court’s decision resulted to the acquittal of Trinidad G. Repuno, former head of Barangay 14, Zone 2, District II of Caloocan City.

The record showed the Regional Trial Court convicted the accused on 19 June 2023 for violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Revised Penal Code.

A prison term ranging from six to 10 years for each count of graft and from two to seven years for each count of malversation of public funds aside from paying a fine of P1.6 million was slapped by the RTC to Repuno.

Repuno for her part challenged the ruling of the RTC before the Sandiganbayan, arguing that she should not be held criminally liable as she did not sign and issue the subject checks, and her purported signatures on the said checks were forgeries.

The RTC, according to her, failed to appreciate her defense of forgery, adding that the RTC failed to exercise "independent judgment" in determining the authenticity and genuineness of the signatures on the checks.

The Sandiganbayan found the arguments of Repuno meritorious, saying there was "serious doubt" whether she countersigned the subject checks.

It said, "The RTC never attempted to compare Repuno's standard/genuine signatures against the signatures on the subject checks."

Also, the Sandiganbayan found several inconsistencies when it conducted an independent examination of the questioned signatures and the admitted signatures of Repuno on the sample documents she submitted.

It also said that there was no evidence presented that would show that Repuno benefited from the encashment of the said checks.

"The prosecution did not present any evidence to show that Repuno appropriated, took, misappropriated, or consented, through abandonment or negligence, permitted another person to take the funds covered by the subject checks," it said.

The 68-page decision was written by First Division Chairperson Associate Justice Efren N. De La Cruz and concurred by Associate Justices Geraldine Faith A. Econg and Juliet M. Manolo-San Gaspar.