MANILA — The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the acquittal of three individuals charged in connection with a 2010 scuffle between rival security groups during an intra-corporate dispute at Stradcom Corporation.

In a decision dated July 31 and recently published online, the CA’s 14th Division dismissed a petition seeking to overturn the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 92 ruling acquitting Bonifacio Sumbilla, Aderito Yujuico, and Rodolfo A. Millare.

The case stemmed from a struggle for control of Stradcom’s premises, personnel, assets, and operations at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Main Compound along East Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City, in December 2010.

At the time, Stradcom was the government’s private information technology service provider responsible for operating and maintaining the LTO’s computerized systems.

The corporate dispute between two rival groups led to a confrontation between Butler Security and Investigation Inc., hired by the incumbent management headed by Cezar Quiambao, and Unilateral Security Agency Inc., which was purportedly acting for the group led by Sumbilla, who claimed to be a duly elected company officer.

The Metropolitan Trial Court in 2017 initially found Sumbilla, Yujuico, and Millare guilty of grave threats. On appeal, however, the RTC reversed the ruling and acquitted them, finding insufficient evidence that they directly induced the violence.

The CA sustained the acquittal, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish that the three specifically ordered the unlawful acts committed by the security personnel.

The appellate court said mere presence at the scene or the hiring of a security agency does not, by itself, establish criminal liability for subsequent misconduct by the guards.

“The contract for security services between Stradcom, through Sumbilla, and Unilateral proves, at most, that Sumbilla engaged the agency to provide security services for the corporation,” the CA said.

The court noted that while the contract explained why Unilateral personnel were deployed to the Stradcom premises, it did not establish that Sumbilla instructed them to overpower, strike, disarm, or forcibly eject the Butler guards.

“Nothing in the contract, as presented in the record, directed or contemplated the commission of any unlawful act,” the CA said.

The ruling effectively upholds the RTC’s acquittal of the three respondents. (PNA)