THE Sandiganbayan has convicted former Gov. Miguel Escobar of Sarangani and ex-agriculturist Romeo Miole to suffer a jail term of 10 to 18 years for malversation of public funds.
Escobar, a lawyer, and Miole were held criminally liable for misappropriation of 1,875 sacks of rice intended for victims of the La Niña.
The Office of the Ombudsman was able to prove that the sacks of rice were diverted and given to barangay and municipal officials one week prior to the 2002 elections.
Escobar and Miole were also meted out the accessory penalties of perpetual special disqualification from holding any public office, and were ordered to pay a fine of P1.44 million.
In 2001, the provincial government adopted the sagip taniman project for the livelihood rehabilitation of farmers affected by the La Niña.
Escobar approved the disbursement voucher, purchase request, purchase order, requisition and issue slip for 1,875 sacks of rice worth P1.44 million.
On the other hand, Miole prepared the project design and certified in the disbursement voucher that the expenses were necessary and lawful.
“In allowing the distribution of the sacks of rice to the municipal and barangay officials, [Escobar] consented to the appropriation by persons who were not the listed beneficiaries of the program,” the decision read.
The anti-graft court said Escobar’s contention that he came to know of such fact only after the distribution of the sacks of rice.
“It finds it hard to believe that a project involving the distribution of 1,875 sacks of rice that took place in his province and which he is duty bound to supervise would escape his attention. It would even be considered as an admission of his negligence because even after learning of the distribution of the sacks of rice, he did not do anything.”
A witness from the Commission on Audit said “the program resulted in wastage and misuse of government funds.”
Meanwhile, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the dismissal from the service of eight municipal employees of Molave, Zamboanga del Sur for their involvement in the procurement of expired and overpriced medicine worth P1.8 million in 2009.
In a 10-page decision, she ordered the incumbent municipal mayor of Molave to implement the dismissal of bids and award committee members — Gasmelba Felicitas, Marcos Bahinting, Melita de los Santos, Nikki Omboy, Jerry Gene de los Santos and Lina Lou Gitalan.
Also ordered dismissed were accountant Martin Blanco Jr. and inspector Eleuterio Galleto.
Felicitas and company were found guilty of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and were meted out the accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and perpetual disqualification from reemployment in the government service.
CoA noted the lack of public bidding, non-eligibility check and non-bid bonds submitted by bidders.
The delivery, inspection and payment for the medicines were also found to have been processed in one day after the opening of the bids.
The medicine items were also overpriced by as much as 152 percent to 836 percent.