Published July 17, 2021, 3:27 PM
Sandiganbayan
The Sandiganbayan has convicted three former officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region XII (Soccsksargen) of graft in the irregular purchase of P5.7 million worth of medicines in 2001.
Convicted were former Regional Director Kunesa Sedik Sekak and bids and awards committee (BAC) members Fatima Panda Abobakar and Jesus Enjambre Flores.
The sixth division of the anti-graft court sentenced them to six to eight years imprisonment with perpetual disqualification from holding public office. They were also jointly and severally liable for the amount of P5,781,772.81.
The court affirmed the prosecution’s charge that they purchased the medicines from Pharmazel, Inc. without public bidding.
Published May 7, 2021, 10:22 AM
Sandiganbayan
On account of his death, the Sandiganbayan has dismissed the criminal cases filed against the late former Mayor Romeo V. Borja Sr. of Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija.
Borja was charged with 33 counts of violations of Section 52(g) of Republic Act No. 8291, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), for alleged non-remittance of the GSIS premium contributions of a municipal employee from 2007 to 2010.
He passed away last year, and the prosecution submitted his Certificate of Death to the anti-graft court.
“Accordingly, SB-13-CRM-0739 to 0771 are hereby dismissed as to accused Borja by reason of his death,“ stated the anti-graft court’s resolution issued by Associate Justices Sarah Jane T. Fernandez, Karl B. Miranda and Kevin Narce B. Vivero of the court’s sixth division.
Sandiganbayan The Sandiganbayan has decided to proceed with the trial of the falsification of public documents cases filed against five former Bataan provincial officials. In a resolution, the anti-graft court denied the demurrer to evidence filed by former provincial agriculturist Imelda D.
Published May 4, 2021, 11:55 AM
Sandiganbayan
The Sandiganbayan has denied the motion of Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. Luis Raymund “LRay” F. Villafuerte Jr. to expunge or delete from the records the prosecution’s memorandum which was filed in his graft cases.
Villafuerte and his co-accused, Naga Petron Fuel Express Zone owner Jeffrey Lo, were charged in three graft cases involving alleged anomalous purchase of P20 million worth of fuel when the legislator was still the governor of Camarines Sur.
Last Feb. 3, the prosecution filed a memorandum to which Villafuerte and Lo objected in their motions.
But the anti-graft saw no reason to approve their motions.
Published February 22, 2021, 9:26 AM
The Sandiganbayan has acquitted former Cagayan Gov. Edgar Ramones Lara of two graft charges in connection with the construction of the P213.7 million Cagayan Town Center (CTC) that was primarily funded out of the proceeds of the province’s bonds floatation in 2001.
Sandiganbayan (MANILA BULLETIN)
In a decision promulgated on Feb. 19, 2021, the Sandiganbayan ruled that the prosecutors of the Office of the Ombudsman “failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt” that Lara violated Section 3 (e) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The anti-graft court also ruled that “no civil liability may be adjudged against the accused (Lara) as the act or omission from which the civil liability might arise did not exist.”