MANILA — The Sandiganbayan Seventh Division entered a not guilty plea for former Bauan, Batangas Mayor Ryann Dolor after he refused to enter a plea for his graft charge over the alleged disadvantageous privatization of the Bauan Waterworks System (BWS) to Aquadata Inc. from 2008 to 2013.
Dolor was previously ordered detained by the House committee on public accounts led by Abang Lingkod Rep. Stephen Paduano on March 2025 for alleged refusal to attend legislative inquiry on the BWS privatization.
He was released from House detention on June 2025, after his contempt order was lifted.
On Tuesday, the Seventh Division clerk of court read the information containing the charges against Dolor, who personally appeared during the arraignment.
Prosecutors alleged that the privatization was “grossly disadvantageous” to the municipality, which received only 5% of revenues while Aquadata garnered 95%.
It added that Dolor allegedly allowed the municipality to lose at least P6 million while Aquadata earned P86 million, despite recognizing the arrangement was disadvantageous and “lacked adequate feasibility studies.”