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EMBATTLED Mayor Oscar Moreno over the weekend welcomed his arraignment at the Sandiganbayan, saying this would give him the chance to answer the accusations against him in court.

Over radio station DxCC, Moreno said he was glad with the arraignment which, to him, meant that he would have his day in court.

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“We will just wait for the trial. We are confident that we will be vindicated. I am not worried,” he said.

Moreno’s lawyer Bryan Dale Mordeno said the mayor was in the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division on Friday and pleaded not guilty to 13 graft cases.

Mordeno said Moreno was also arraigned for the seven related cases last month.

The cases were in connection with the rental of heavy equipment that Moreno approved for capitol projects when he was the governor of Misamis Oriental. The rentals were allegedly done without bidding and without the approval of the provincial board.

Moreno served for three terms as governor and became Cagayan de Oro mayor in 2013. He is now seeking a third and final office term as mayor.

Moreno said the barrage of cases were intended to disrupt his official functions as mayor.

“What they want is to make my life difficult, to taint my name. [But] we will overcome all this. We will prevail,” Moreno said.

He said it’s now up to his lawyers to handle his cases, adding that there is no need for him to attend the hearings.

Moreno, together with several former Misamis Oriental government officials, were charged with violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The Office of the Ombudsman said the respondents awarded contracts to heavy equipment rental companies without the conduct of public bidding required under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

The ombudsman said the respondents resorted to negotiated procurement without any valid justification or exemption provided under RA 9184.

The rentals of heavy equipment, amounting to some P20.5 million, were made from 2007 to 2012. (PNA)

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