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By James Hernandez
Former Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT3) general manager Al Sanchez Vitangcol III has sought to challenge the evidence presented by the prosecution against him during the trial of the case concerning his involvement in the MRT3 maintenance contract mess.
Vitangcol has already filed before the Sandiganbayan 3rd Division a motion seeking leave to file a demurrer to evidence over the charges he is facing including two graft charges and violation of the Government Procurement Reform Act.
In his motion, Vitangcol pointed out the prosecution failed to prove his guilt during the trial.
“What is more glaring is that herein accused was proved to be a mere end-user representative, not the Head of the Procuring Entity (HOPE), and was not clothed with the authority to decide on his own relative to procurement matters subject of the instant case,” he pointed out.
Should the anti-graft court deny his motion, Vitangcol can still file a demurrer to evidence but waives his chance to present his defense during the trial.
He is accused of having conspired with his co-accused in unlawfully favoring the Philippine Trans Rail Management Services Corporation (PH Trams) in securing the interim maintenance contract for MRT3 in 2012.
The contract was awarded even though Vitangcol knew that his uncle-in-law and co-accused, Arturo Soriano, is one of the incorporators of PH Trams.
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