The Sandiganbayan Second Division formally entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Tarlac 3rd District Representative Noel “Bong” Rivera following his refusal to enter a plea during his arraignment for graft charges involving alleged conflict of interest in public works projects.
According to the charge sheet prepared by Office of the Ombudsman prosecutors, Rivera maintained direct financial stakes in nine public infrastructure deals given to Tarlac 3-G Construction and Development Corporation during his congressional tenure from 2022 to 2025.
The prosecution noted that the lawmaker controlled a 54.84% majority stake in the firm, while his spouse held 45.09% of the corporate shares.
In a related development, the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division previously dismissed a petition filed by Rivera seeking to merge his nine pending graft counts across various court divisions.
The court stated that consolidating the proceedings would cause unwarranted delays rather than promote a swift trial process.