The Sandiganbayan Fourth Division on Friday found Samar 2nd District Rep. Milagrosa Tan “guilty beyond reasonable doubt” over the alleged anomalous purchase of P16.1 million worth of emergency supplies in 2001.
At the same time, the anti-graft court’s division declared that Tan was perpetually disqualified from holding public office for violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Tan is running for governor in the May elections.
However, her candidacy remains valid pending the finality of the decision.
Two of Tan’s co-accused, Rolando Montejo and Reynaldo Yabut, were also found guilty of eight counts of graft.
But the court acquitted Romeo Reales, Maximo Sison, and Numeriano Legaspi for the failure of the prosecution in proving their guilt.
Division chairperson Associate Justice Alex Quiroz ordered Tan and two of her co-accused to post an additional bail of P240,000 to prevent the issuance of an arrest warrant.
“The Sandiganbayan would always require the accused to double the bond for them to enjoy provisional liberty,” Quiroz said, directing the court sheriff to prohibit the accused from leaving the Sandiganbayan premises until the bond was posted.
Fr. Noel Labendia, the parish priest of the Diocese of Calbayog and founding leader of Isog Han Samar Movement, an anti-corruption group in the province, filed in 2006 the cases against then-governor Tan and her co-accused.
Labendia claimed the officials conspired in approving anomalous purchases of P16.1 million worth of supposed “emergency supplies” without any public bidding.