The Sandiganbayan has affirmed its decision that convicted the municipal revenue collector of Santa Ignacia, Tarlac of malversation of public funds amounting to P343,000 in 2013.
In a resolution, the anti-graft court denied Joseph M. Pattawi’s motion for reconsideration which alleged that the witnesses presented by the prosecution had no personal knowledge on the reported shortage in the General and Special Education Fund and, thus, their testimonies were “hearsay.”
The court disagreed with Pattawi. “The Court has already passed upon the issues raised in the assailed decision and since there are no new arguments presented by the accused and it failed to comply with the Rules of Court, it becomes evident that the motion should be considered as a mere scrap of paper.”
The court’s resolution was signed by Associate Justices Michael Frederick L. Musngi, Lorifel L. Pahimna and Bayani H. Jacinto.