Sandiganbayan
The Sandiganbayan convicted former Maguindanao governor Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan of 126 counts of falsification of public documents, four counts of malversation of public funds, and four counts of graft.
Since Ampatuan did not attend the promulgation of the decision on Thursda
(PNA file photo) MANILA - The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed the appeal filed by former Maguindanao governor Datu Sajid Islam U. Ampatuan and former provincial budget officer Datuali Kanakan Abpi, Al Haj questioning their conviction by the Sandiganbayan for graft and malversation for alleged anomalies in the purchase of construction supplies worth PHP38.1 million in 2008 and 2009. In a resolution published online on September 2, the court's first division "dismissed for lack of merit" Ampatuan and Abpi's appeal and affirmed the March 22, 2019 decision of the Sandiganbayan convicting them and sentencing them to reclusion perpetua. "(I)t becomes clear that accused-appellants could not have acted individually. Indeed, they were in-charge of separate and different tasks, which appear unrelated at first, but in fact constitute a whole collective effort to consummate their criminal intent of malversing the province's funds," the SC said. The two were the onl