Supreme Court (File photo) MANILA - The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the conviction by the Sandiganbayan of a former vice mayor in Iloilo province for graft and falsification in connection with a spurious council resolution passed in 1996 to authorize quarrying. The SC's Second Division dismissed the appeal filed by ex-Maasin vice mayor Arnaldo Partisala who was charged in 1999 for making it appear that a municipal resolution was passed to authorize private individual Helen Lee Tan's firm to engage in massive quarrying in the guise of rechanneling the Tigum River. Also sued were former mayor Rene Mondejar; Sangguniang Bayan secretary Francisco Tolentino; and Sanggunian members Ildefonso Espejo, Margarita Gumapas, Manuel Piolo, Roberto Velasco. Residents of Barangay Mabini-Rizal sued them over the destruction of the river due to quarrying activities in Barangay Naslo. In 1997, the provincial government said Maasin violated ordinances by quarrying without the necessary permit
Supreme Court (File photo) MANILA - The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the conviction by the Sandiganbayan of a former vice mayor in Iloilo province for graft and falsification in connection with a spurious council resolution passed in 1996 to authorize quarrying. The SC's Second Division dismissed the appeal filed by ex-Maasin vice mayor Arnaldo Partisala who was charged in 1999 for making it appear that a municipal resolution was passed to authorize private individual Helen Lee Tan's firm to engage in massive quarrying in the guise of rechanneling the Tigum River. Also sued were former mayor Rene Mondejar; Sangguniang Bayan secretary Francisco Tolentino; and Sanggunian members Ildefonso Espejo, Margarita Gumapas, Manuel Piolo, Roberto Velasco. Residents of Barangay Mabini-Rizal sued them over the destruction of the river due to quarrying activities in Barangay Naslo. In 1997, the provincial government said Maasin violated ordinances by quarrying without the necessary permit
Supreme Court (File photo) MANILA - The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the conviction by the Sandiganbayan of a former vice mayor in Iloilo province for graft and falsification in connection with a spurious council resolution passed in 1996 to authorize quarrying. The SC's Second Division dismissed the appeal filed by ex-Maasin vice mayor Arnaldo Partisala who was charged in 1999 for making it appear that a municipal resolution was passed to authorize private individual Helen Lee Tan's firm to engage in massive quarrying in the guise of rechanneling the Tigum River. Also sued were former mayor Rene Mondejar; Sangguniang Bayan secretary Francisco Tolentino; and Sanggunian members Ildefonso Espejo, Margarita Gumapas, Manuel Piolo, Roberto Velasco. Residents of Barangay Mabini-Rizal sued them over the destruction of the river due to quarrying activities in Barangay Naslo. In 1997, the provincial government said Maasin violated ordinances by quarrying without the necessary permit