A FORMER regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) who was convicted twice of sexual harassment has secured the nod of the Sandiganbayan Third Division to pursue his application to render community service rather than serve his sentence of six months in jail.
Jose Romeo Escandor filed a similar request last year but it was denied by the Sandiganbayan for non-compliance with the requirements set under RA 11362 or the Community Service Act.
The Sandiganbayan noted that Escandor requested to do community service in his barangay, which is contrary to the provision of the law that it should be at the “place where the crime was committed” or in Barangay Lahug in Cebu.
In addition, it said the proposed program should be prepared by the barangay chairman of Lahug, must include rehabilitative counseling, and supported by an attestation the defendant has not previously availed of community service for a different offense.
In his Revised Motion dated October 5, 2023, Escandor corrected the defects in his previous pleading by attaching an application for community service, a barangay checklist, and two personal letters to the barangay chairperson of Lahug asking to be allowed to render service in the latter’s office in consideration for his old age and existing medical conditions.
In 2013, Escandor was found guilty by the Third Division of abusing his position as NEDA Region 7 regional director and forcing his amorous attention on the victim, his subordinate, who is a married woman.
He was sentenced to six years imprisonment and fined P20,000.
In 2015, the Fifth Division also convicted him of the same criminal offense on a complaint filed by a female Economic Development Specialist. While he was ordered to pay a P20,000 fine, the court did not impose a period of imprisonment.
Escandor’s victim testified that he touched her thigh, kissed and embraced her, stared at her breasts, sent her love notes on her computer and sexually suggestive text messages on her mobile phone, which eventually forced her to resign in 2003.
He sought reversal of the decision but lost in his appeals which were thrown out by the Sandiganbayan and the Supreme Court.
Like in his previous motion, Escandor asked to be allowed to render community service near his own home in Barangay Tisa in Cebu City rather than in Barangay Lahug, which is two hours away by jeep.
He explained that he is already 70 years old, living alone, and needs to take his maintenance medication three times a day at home for various health problems.
While the Sandiganbayan held that the application to render community service complied with the requirements, it overruled his request to serve in his barangay.
It said while the law gave it discretion on allowing or refusing community service applications, that discretion does not extend to changing the place from where the crime took place.
