Manila Bulletin
Philippines
Ex-Zamboanga del Sur officials plead guilty to lesser offense in fraud case
Philippines
Ex-Zamboanga del Sur officials plead guilty to lesser offense in fraud case
Ex-Zamboanga del Sur officials plead guilty to lesser offense in fraud case
Published Feb 3, 2020 12:00 am
By Czarina Nicole Ong Ki Â
The Sandiganbayan First Division has convicted seven former officials from the municipality of Margosatubig, Zamboanga del Sur of the charge of frauds against public treasury after accepting their plea bargaining agreement with the prosecution.
Sandiganbayan (MANILA BULLETIN)
Municipal Accountant Eien Jimeno Maning, Municipal Planning Officer and National Resource Management Focal Person Ludivina Domingono Salazar, and bids and awards committee (BAC) members Alex Benigay Villarin, Elvira Zapanta Emia, Andres Patay Limatoc, Merlinda Teves Ambaic, and Pilar Barredo Locop were initially slapped with a violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act (RA) No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
They are the co-accused of former Mayor Roy Espitacion Encallado and Municipal Health Officer and BAC Chairman Arwin Indal Alpha, who already pleaded guilty to the same lesser offense.
Their charge stemmed from the undue advantage given to Barcelona Spring Farm in 2014, when they awarded it with the purchase of fish cages, fingerlings, and fish feeds amounting to P4.11 million, even though there were violations of R.A. 9184 or the Government Procurement Act and Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1445.
During their arraignment on Sept. 20 last year, the accused entered a "not guilty" plea. But on Sept. 27, they offered to plea bargain and plead guilty to the lesser offense of violation of PD 1445, Section 106 instead.
The Ombudsman agreed to let them enter into a plea bargain, provided that it be to the offense of Paragraph 1 of Article 213 of the Revised Penal Code, otherwise known as Frauds Against Public Treasury.
"Wherefore, in light of all the foregoing, accused...are hereby found guilty of frauds against the public treasury and similar offenses, defined and penalized under paragraph 1 of Article 213 of the Revised Penal Code," the decision read.
They were sentenced to pay a fine of P1,000 each, with subsidiary penalty in case of insolvency.
The four-page decision was written by First Division Chairperson Efren De La Cruz with the concurrence of Associate Justices Edgardo Caldona and Rafael Lagos.
Sandiganbayan (MANILA BULLETIN)
Municipal Accountant Eien Jimeno Maning, Municipal Planning Officer and National Resource Management Focal Person Ludivina Domingono Salazar, and bids and awards committee (BAC) members Alex Benigay Villarin, Elvira Zapanta Emia, Andres Patay Limatoc, Merlinda Teves Ambaic, and Pilar Barredo Locop were initially slapped with a violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act (RA) No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
They are the co-accused of former Mayor Roy Espitacion Encallado and Municipal Health Officer and BAC Chairman Arwin Indal Alpha, who already pleaded guilty to the same lesser offense.
Their charge stemmed from the undue advantage given to Barcelona Spring Farm in 2014, when they awarded it with the purchase of fish cages, fingerlings, and fish feeds amounting to P4.11 million, even though there were violations of R.A. 9184 or the Government Procurement Act and Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1445.
During their arraignment on Sept. 20 last year, the accused entered a "not guilty" plea. But on Sept. 27, they offered to plea bargain and plead guilty to the lesser offense of violation of PD 1445, Section 106 instead.
The Ombudsman agreed to let them enter into a plea bargain, provided that it be to the offense of Paragraph 1 of Article 213 of the Revised Penal Code, otherwise known as Frauds Against Public Treasury.
"Wherefore, in light of all the foregoing, accused...are hereby found guilty of frauds against the public treasury and similar offenses, defined and penalized under paragraph 1 of Article 213 of the Revised Penal Code," the decision read.
They were sentenced to pay a fine of P1,000 each, with subsidiary penalty in case of insolvency.
The four-page decision was written by First Division Chairperson Efren De La Cruz with the concurrence of Associate Justices Edgardo Caldona and Rafael Lagos.