(File photo) MANILA - The Sandiganbayan meted a fine to a former Abra town mayor over the unauthorized use of the town's internal revenue allotment (IRA) meant for development projects to rehabilitate its municipal hall in 2011. In a 31-page decision dated June 28 and written by Associate Justice Kevin Narce Vivero, the anti-graft court held former mayor Christopher Mallari Sr. of Licuan-Baay municipality liable for two counts of technical malversation and sentenced him to pay a fine of PHP160,000 in total for both charges. "Everything considered, the Court finds that the prosecution sufficiently established all the elements of the crime charged. However, there being no proof of damage or embarrassment to the public service as a result of the misapplication of the subject funds, the Court rules that the accused should be sentenced to pay a fine equivalent to up to fifty percent of the sum misapplied," the court ruled. Under the Local Government Code, each local government