Calinog Municipal Agriculturist Crispino Castro of Iloilo has pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of Failure of Accountable Officer to Render Accounts instead of graft before the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division. In doing so, he escaped a possible prison sentence of six to eight years.
Castro was imposed the penalty of P5,000 after being found guilty of violation of Article 218 of the Revised Penal Code. Meanwhile, his civil liability will no longer be imposed considering the full settlement of P999,000, representing the amount of undue injury to the municipality of Calinog.
Castro was one of the co-accused of Mayor Alex Centena in the case for violation of Section 3(e) of R.A. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. This was for the reportedly anomalous purchase of 666 bottles of Bio Nature Liquid Fertilizer at P1,500 per bottle from Feshan using the alternative method of procurement, which is direct contracting, on May 3, 2004.
When a wheelchair-bound Castro was arraigned on November 5, 2018, he pleaded not guilty. He eventually manifested that he wanted to plead guilty to a lesser offense, which was approved by Ombudsman Samuel Martires.
After being considered by the anti-graft court, the plea bargaining agreement between the prosecution and defense was approved.
"The Court has satisfied itself that the accused has fully understood the nature and consequence of his change of plea," the resolution read.
"The mitigating circumstance of the plea of guilty would be appreciated in favor of the accused as the change of plea was made prior to the presentation of evidence by the prosecution."
The four-page resolution was penned by Seventh Division Chairperson Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta with the concurrence of Associate Justices Zaldy Trespeses and Georgina Hidalgo.