The Ombudsman finally bagged its proverbial “big fish” as it secured the graft and plunder conviction and prison terms of nine former top police and immigration officials.
In a decision promulgated on Friday, the Sandiganbayan convicted former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jesus Verzosa and five others of graft in connection to the purchase of P131.5 million worth of police rubber boats and outboard motors in 2009.
The anti-graft court’s Third Division sentenced Verzosa and retired PNP officers Benjamin Belarmino Jr., Jefferson Soriano, Luizo Ticman, Romeo Hilomen, and Villamor Bumanglag to imprisonment of from six to eight years.
Soriano is now the mayor of Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province.
In addition, the Sandiganbayan perpetually disqualified the six from holding public office.
Retired Police Director Ronald Roderos, a member of the PNP National Headquarters-Bids and Awards Committee, was acquitted of graft as the court upheld his defense of nonparticipation in the acquisition of the rubber boats and outboard motors.
Retired Police Chief Superintendent Herold Ubalde was dropped from the list of the accused because he died while the case was pending.
The case stemmed from the PNP’s purchase of 75 PBRs and 93 OBMs from EnviroAire Inc., Geneve SA Philippines, and Bay Industrial Philippines Corp. despite the suppliers’ failure to pass the eligibility tests.
To make matters worse, the items delivered by the three suppliers also failed to meet the specifications prescribed by the National Police Commission and were “not functionally compatible,” the court said.
“The accused NHQ-BAC officials recommended the award of the supply contract to co-accused Verzosa, who approved the same. Hence, all the accused are responsible for the functional incompatibility of the PRBs and OBMs delivered,” the court said.
“Verzosa should have noticed the financial weakness of the suppliers and functional incompatibility of the PRBs and OBMs. Instead, he kept silent. His actions show manifest partiality toward the ineligible suppliers,” it added.
Associate Justice Bernelito Fernandez wrote the decision while Associate Justices Amparo Cabotaje-Ang and Ronald Moreno concurred.
In a separate decision, the Sandiganbayan meted out life imprisonment to former Immigration deputy commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles and retired police officer Wenceslao Sombrero Jr. after convicting them of plunder in connection with a P50-million bribery case.
The three were also convicted of graft and sentenced to jail from six to 10 years and perpetual disqualification to hold public office.
Robles and Argosino were accused of receiving P50 million from Sombero, the alleged bagman of Chinese businessman Jack Lam, for the release of 1,316 illegal Chinese workers found at the Lam’s casino in Clark, Pampanga in 2016.
Ombudsman prosecutors tagged Argosino as the “main plunderer” in the scandal.