Published February 13, 2021, 10:51 AM
Former mayor Alberto Bacaylan Acain of Libertad, Misamis Oriental and four other town officials have been sentenced to a prison term ranging from six to eight years in each of the two counts of graft charges filed against them in the irregular purchase of P4.9 million worth of fertilizers in 2004.
Also convicted by the Sandiganbayan were former municipal engineer Oscar Anino Benlot, municipal civil registrar Isidro Namocot Gervacio, municipal budget officer Elizabeth Abut Pagalan, and municipal assessor Sergio Agagaring Jacalan Jr.
The anti-graft court ruled that the purchase was “hastily conducted” and “was concluded even without any validation of the relevant documents submitted or background checks or post-qualification of the supplier,”
While Sandiganbayan justices said they “empathize with the humanitarian concerns raised by the accused-movant (former legislator Judy Syjuco) such as her old age and the recent loss of her husband, unfortunately, these are not recognized grounds for the grant of her subject motion" to dismiss her gr
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
These numbers were disclosed in the “Statistics on Cases Filed, Pending, and Disposed of as of Dec. 31, 2020” released by the Sandiganbayan recently.
This was attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic which impacted people’s work capabilities as lockdowns kept people at home in order to stop the spread of the virus.
Ombudsman prosecutors have been refrained during the quarantine to physically appear before the Sandiganbayan from April to June and as a result, zero cases were filed.
The anti-graft court had to make certain adjustments to keep judges, staff, prosecutors, and the defense team safe.
Physical distancing measures were established and the court used modern technology to conduct hearings.