MANILA, Philippines — The Pasay City Regional Trial Court has dismissed the electoral sabotage case against House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
This is the last criminal case against the former President after she was cleared of plunder by the Sandiganbayan. Both the plunder cases related to the National Broadband Network (NBN) contract with Chinese firm ZTE and the alleged misuse of P366-million fund from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) were dismissed via a demurrer to evidence.
The Sandiganbayan denied Arroyo’s demurrer to evidence on the P366-million plunder case, but the high court reversed the Sandiganbayan ruling.
A demurrer to evidence is in effect a motion to dismiss filed by the accused after the prosecution finished its presentation of evidence. It is anchored on the ground that the evidence presented is insufficient.