'After a careful review of the arguments raised before this Court, we find no valid reason to grant the Motions for Reconsideration filed by accused Escobar and Dela Cruz,' says the Sandiganbayan 6th Division
The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division says the defendants – former members of TESDA's Bids and Awards Committee and secretariat – were not the ones who entered into the contract agreements with the supplier
MANILA-The Sandiganbayan has sentenced a Cebu town official of up to 20 years behind bars and fined PHP2 million for graft and malversation. In its 125 page decision dated Feb. 7 and written by Associate Justice Kevin Narce Vivero , the anti-graft court found Esperato del Socorro, former municipal treasurer of Ronda municipality in Cebu province, guilty of violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and sentenced him up to 10 years imprisonment and perpetual disqualification from holding public office. He was likewise found guilty in a separate charge of malversation of public funds, which also carries a penalty of up to 10 years and was fined PHP2.063 million. Aside from the fine, he was also sentenced to refund a similar PHP2.063 million to the Bureau of Treasury. Del Socorro had been charged along with the former town mayor, the late Esteban Sia, in connection with irregularities discovered by state auditors in 2009, along with former municipal accountant
MANILA-The Sandiganbayan has cleared a former town mayor in Leyte province and convicted seven others in graft charges arising from the officials' refusal to recognize the appointment of a member of the Sangguniang Bayan, who was appointed by the provincial governor to replace a resigned council member, 24 years ago. In its 34-page decision written by Associate Justice Kevin Narce Vivero and dated Jan. 24, the anti-graft court's sixth division found former Hilongos town mayor Altagracia Villaflor not guilty with the tribunal citing that "the evidence of the prosecution failed to sufficiently establish all the elements of the crime charged and for failure of the prosecution to overcome the presumption of innocence." The tribunal instead found former vice mayor Panfilo Go, and municipal sangguniang bayan mambers Lamberto Rainier Flanco, Manuel Gabisan, Epifania Nerves, Lilia Sabando, Edwin Faller and Rogelio Yan guilty of graft and sentenced them to imprisonment of up t
(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