The Sandiganbayan has convicted former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Chairman Camilo L. Sabio of failure to render accounts as an accountable officer and has been ordered to pay the government P350,000 in civil liability.
Sabio was also ordered to pay a fine of P1,000 for violation of Article 218 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).
Article 218 is violated by any public officer “whether in the service or separated therefrom by resignation or any other cause, who is required by law or regulation to render account... and who fails to do so for a period of two months after such accounts should be rendered....” A violation is punishable by prision correccional (six months and one day to six years) in its minimum period or by a fine ranging from P200 to P6,000 or both.
Sabio received two checks in 2009 for P350,000 as cash advances for field operating expenses in relation to his official functions as PCGG chairman.
Under Commission on Audit (COA) Circular No. 97-002, Sabio was required to liquidate the cash advances within a period of two months. Unfortunately, Sabio failed to do so within the prescribed time.
During trial, Sabio did not deny receiving the cash advances. In fact, Sabio said that these were used for litigation and related expenses. However, he said that the funds are private in character and therefore do not require liquidation.
In convicting Sabio, the Sandiganbayan said his argument was "untenable" as the funds were classified as field operating expenses.
"Accused is therefore duty-bound to render an account of the cash advances he received, or to return such portions thereof which were not utilized for the purpose stated in the request," the anti-graft court said.
The decision was written by court’s second division Chairperson Oscar C. Herrera Jr. with the concurrence of Associate Justices Michael Frederick L. Musngi and Arthur O. Malabaguio.
This was not Sabio's first conviction before the Sandiganbayan. In 2020, the court found him guilty of trying to influence his brother from the Court of Appeals (CA) to rule in favor of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). He was imposed a jail term of six to 10 years imprisonment with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
In 2017, Sabio was convicted in a case involving the anomalous lease of PCGG vehicles from 2007 to 2009. He was sentenced to 12 to 20 years in prison with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
It was not known immediately if those two previous convictions have been appealed by Sabio before the Supreme Court.