ILOILO CITY – Police Regional Office (PRO-6) has confirmed that former mayor Frankie Locsin of Janiuay town, Iloilo province has started serving his 10-year prison term after his conviction in a graft case.
PRO-6 Spokesperson Lt. Col. Joem Malong told The Manila Bulletin Tuesday, January 12, that Locsin was transferred to the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa on Monday, January 11.
Malong said that Locsin was taken into custody from a hospital in Iloilo City, where he has been under hospital arrest since June 2019.
To recall, the Western Visayas regional office of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Locsin in June 2019. This was a month after winning the May 2019 mayoralty race of Janiuay town.
Locsin’s June 2019 warrant was issued following a Supreme Court ruling, which upheld the Sandiganbayan’s February 2015 conviction of Locsin and five others for violating Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The graft conviction stemmed from the reportedly anomalous purchase of P15-million worth of medicines by the Janiuay municipal government in 2001 when Locsin was mayor.
The Commission on Audit (COA) found that the Janiuay municipal government purchased the medicines from a supplier that no longer had an accreditation from the Department of Health (DOH).
The Sandiganbyan also meted Locsin perpetual disqualification from holding public office.