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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 2 ex-NABCOR officials convicted in P4.8M illegally disbursed funds

2 ex-NABCOR officials convicted in P4.8M illegally disbursed funds

Published Nov 7, 2023 03:18 am

Two former officials of the now defunct  National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR) have been convicted by the Sandiganbayan in three criminal cases involving the ghost procurement of P4.8 million worth of seedlings for the 1st district of Lanao del Norte in 2009.

Convicted of graft, malversation of public funds, and malversation through falsification of commercial documents were former NABCOR administrative and finance director Rhodora B. Mendoza and general services chief Romulo M. Relevo.

On graft charge, Mendoza and Relevo were sentenced to a prison term ranging from six to 10 years with perpertual disqualification to hold public office.

The two former officials were sentenced to a jail term of 10 to 16 years for malversation of public funds, and from two to eight years imprisonment for malversation through falsification of commercial documents.

Certified Public Accountant Elizabeth D. Balbacal has been acquitted in the three cases for failure of the prosecution to prove her guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

However, the anti-graft court ordered all of them -- Mendoza, Relevo and Balbacal -- to pay back the Bureau of Treasury more than P4.8 million representing the funds which were wrongfully and illegally disbursed.

Also charged in the three cases were former NABCOR president Alan A. Javellana and accountant Ma. Julie A. Villaralvo-Johnson, and Kasangga sa Magandang Bukas Foundation (KMBFI) finance officer Marilou L. Antonio.  Since they remained at-large, the cases against them have been archived.

They were accused of  giving unwarranted benefits to KMBFI and disbursed P4,850,000 of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of then congressman Vicente F. Belmonte Jr. for non-existent livelihood programs.

In acquitting Balbacal, the anti-graft court said that her signatures in the liquidation reports and auditors reports were not affixed by her, and there was insufficient proof that she participated in the preparation of the documents.

In convicting Mendoza and Relevo, the court said that their actions caused the disappearance of the funds.  

It said: "If a demand was made upon an accountable public official to produce the funds in his custody and he or she failed to do so, the presumption thereby arising would render unnecessary further proof of conversion. The disappearance of public funds in the hands of the accountable officer is prima facie evidence of its conversion."

First Division Chairperson Associate Justice Efren N. Dela Cruz wrote the 84-page decision which was handed down last Nov. 6 with the concurrence of Associate Justices Geraldine Faith A. Econg and Arthur O. Malabaguio.

 

 

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Sandiganbayan graft conviction guilty Malversation
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