THE Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday filed malversation charges against a former governor of Misamis Oriental with the Sandiganbayan.
Ex-governor Antonio Calingin was accused of failure to liquidate a cash advance of P500,000 used for the registration of the Misamis Oriental Telephone System Inc. in June 2002.
The Ombudsman also included Jusie Roxas, a former Misortel manager, in the case.
In a resolution, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said “Calingin admitted that he directed respondent Roxas to secure the cash advance of P500,000 and that he personally received the amount.”
Calingin was not able to show proof of liquidation.
“Respondents conspired with each other in committing malversation of public funds,” the Ombudsman said.
In December 2014, Ombudsman prosecutors secured Calingin’s conviction for malversation in connection with the missing spare parts and accessories of two government vehicles assigned to the office of the provincial governor.
He was sentenced to a jail term of 10 years and one day to 18 years, eight months and one day of reclusion temporal.
Calingin was also ordered to pay a fine of P2,082,385, and to suffer perpetual special disqualification with an order to indemnify the Misamis Oriental provincial government of P2,082,385.
