THE Office of the Ombudsman junked the administrative complaints lodged against Mayor Aldrin San Pedro of Muntinlupa City for being moot and academic.

Citing a 1959 Supreme Court jurisprudence, the Ombudsman in a seven-page decision said that San Pedro has been “forgiven” for acts done before his present term of office.

“The court should never remove a public officer for acts done prior to his present term of office. When the people have elected a man to office, it must be assumed that they disregarded or forgave his faults,” the Court ruling read.

San Pedro was complained of violation of the Government Procurement Reform Act and the Local Government Code in line with the purchase of P22 million worth of 40,000 trolley school bags in 2008 for school kids.

According to former city councilor Rafael Arciaga, complainant to the case, San Pedro did not include in the city government’s Annual Procurement Plan hence there was no budget appropriation for it.

Arciaga said the Muntinlupa City funded the procurement by way of loan which imposed on the taxpayers interests worth P8.8 million.

However, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved the judicial precedent on the SC ruling.

“Offenses committed, or acts done, during previous term are generally held not to furnish cause for removal,” the ruling read.