THE Sandiganbayan sentenced Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso Umali and ex-governor Rodolfo Valencia to up to 10 years in prison over a P2.5-million illegal loan contract to a private person in 1994.
The two officials were already convicted of the crime in 2008 after the anti-graft court denied a demurrer to evidence that was submitted with the permission of the court. The two were each sentenced to six to 10-year in prison with perpetual disqualification from public office.
But the Sandiganbayan agreed in December 2009 to reopen the case so that Valencia and Umali could present their evidence.
However, the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division apparently did not find any reason to change the original finding that Valencia and Umali approved a P2.5-million loan contract to private engineer Alfredo Atienza for the repair, operations and maintenance of the M/V Ace transport vessel for a private purpose.
“For all intents, the credit agreement is grossly and manifestly disadvantageous to the finances of the provincial government, it is in violation of the law as it was undertaken for a private purpose,” the graft court’s April 20 decision read.
In its 36-page resolution, the division, headed by Associate Justice Jose Hernandez, ordered the imprisonment of Umali, Valencia and ex-board member Romualdo Bawasanta to prison term of six years and one month to a maximum of 10 years.
Aside from the prison term, division chairman, Associate Justice Jose Hernandez, also meted accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from public office and forfeiture of retirement and other gratuity benefits. They were also ordered to indemnify the government P2.5 million.
Valencia said they will ask the court to reconsideration its decision.
“The welfare of the people is the supreme law. It is therefore very unfortunate that we are being persecuted for doing our job to put the welfare of the people first especially in times of calamities and emergencies,” his emailed statement read.
Valencia said the main reason for the loan agreement was that the province was hit by four successive typhoons in December 1993, during which 149 people were killed and over P1 billion worth of properties and infrastructure were destroyed.
The Standard tried, but failed to reach Umali, also Liberal Party treasurer, who was recently accused of trying to block the arrest of Globe Asiatique owner Delfin Lee.
Umali admitted that he called then PNP chief Alan Purisima, but only to ask about the basis for Lee’s arrest. He said he did it as a favor to Lee’s lawyer Gilbert Repizo, who is also from Mindoro.
