MANILA - The Sandiganbayan has cleared former Cebu congressmen Antonio Cuenco and Antonio Yapha, Jr. of their graft cases in connection to alleged misuse of their Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF).

Cuenco used to be Cebu 2nd District representative, while Yapha was 3rd District representative.

The case stemmed from the agricultural development program of the two congressmen, involving the purchase of 4,000 bottles of liquid fertilizer amounting to P6 million.

Cuenco and Yaphe were accused of graft for illegally endorsing Kasosyo Foundation, Inc., a non-government organization, as implementor of their projects. Aside from failing to undergo public bidding, the project was awarded to Kasosyo despite its lack of experience.

In a resolution, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division granted Cuenco and Yaphe's Motions For Judicial Determination of Probable cause, and dismissed their cases.

The Sandiganbayan found merit on Cuenco and Yapha's argument that the Ombudsman violated their rights to due process and to speedy disposition of cases.

There was no justification on why the case took over ten years before it was filed, the Sandiganbayan pointed out.

The complaint on the misuse of Cuenco and Yapha's PDAF was docketed for Ombudsman's fact-finding investigation on February 17, 2006. However, the Ombudsman only signed a resolution on finding probable cause for their indictment on May 11, 2016. The case was filed before the Sandiganbayan on August 24, 2016.

"The Court takes note of the fact that the case is not complex. The issues and facts that the Office of the Ombudsman had to consider were not too difficult as to justify the length of time it took to investigate and resolve," the resolution read.

Meanwhile, the Sandiganbayan retained the graft cases against Eduardo Lecciones, executive director of the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Unit. But his motion for reduction of bail was granted. His bail bond was reduced to P15,000 for each of his two graft cases.