Sandiganbayan The Sandiganbayan has allowed two former cooperative officials in Sarangani province to plead guilty to a lesser offense of failure to render accounts instead of undergoing trial on charges of malversation of P350,000 in public funds. With the approval of the plea bargaining they
Published May 31, 2021, 3:03 PM
Sandiganbayan
The Sandiganbayan has affirmed the conviction of former Mayor Norlaine Mitmug Limbona of Pantar, Lanao del Norte and Municipal Accountant Paganaibae Abinal Macaumbos for graft and violations of the Government Auditing Code in the irregular grant of P11.8 million cash advances in 2008.
Upheld were their prison term ranging from six to 10 years for violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and the fine of P20,000 each for their 20 counts of violations of Section 89, in relation to Section 128, of Presidential Decree No. 1445 or the Government Auditing Code.
The case against acting Municipal Treasurer Orac Galmac Racmat, to whom the cash advances were given, has been archived because he has remained at-large.
MANILA BULLETIN FILE
A hostile witness “is called by an adverse party to testify in a case and may be expected to be biased in his testimony against the adverse party.”
Osmeña is facing six graft charges for withholding the releases of the real property tax (RPT) shares of a barangay for two quarters in 2014 and for the 2015 fiscal year.
In his motion, Osmeña said Rivera should be declared as a hostile witness. However, he said he will dispense with Rivera’s testimony if the prosecution admits to the truthfulness of certain statements, like on his order to Rivera to put on hold the release of the RPTs because of a boundary dispute between Barangay Daanglungsod and Barangay Sangi in Toledo City.
(FLICKR / FILE PHOTO)
In a resolution, the anti-graft court also ordered the release of Caponong’s bond in favor of his estate.
Caponong had been accused of direct bribery, under the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and the Revised Penal Code (RPC), when he reportedly took advantage of his position by accepting money from a litigant.
The criminal charges stated that Caponong received money on three separate occasions from Herminio Sablawan Jr. in exchange for a favorable decision on a case under preliminary investigation by the late prosecutor.
“Accordingly, SB-12-CRM-0163 and SB-13-CRM-0129 are hereby dismissed by reason of the accused’s death,” the resolution written by Associate Justice Sarah Jane T. Fernandez and concurred in by Associate Justices Bernelito R. Fernandez and Kevin Narce B. Vivero stated.
Published March 12, 2021, 3:34 PM
The Sandiganbayan has denied anew the plea of an accused to present in his graft and malversation cases the testimony of a witness who is now residing abroad and whose whereabouts were not relayed to the court during pre-trial.
Denied twice was the motion of former Mayor Dioscaesar Suero of Cabugao, Ilocos Sur to present the testimony of a certain Renato/Charlie S. Siruno through written interrogatories before the Philippine Consulate in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Written interrogatories consist of questions to elicit material and relevant facts for the taking of depositions or written testimonies.
Suero was charged with graft for conspiring with Nesto Ibarra and giving preference to the latter’s company, N.A. Ibarra Construction, in the construction of the farm-to-market road project for Cabugao town in 2010.