THE Sandiganbayan has ordered arrest warrants issued against three former officials of Surigao del Sur province in connection to a crime committed 30 years ago.
Based on the directive issued by the Seventh Division last January 17, executive assistant Leonardo Calo, general services officer Anecito Ambray, and budget officer Marlene Quiñones will have to serve jail time on their conviction for Falsification of Public Documents way back on October 23, 2014.
The three were sentenced to imprisonment for six months to eight years with perpetual disqualification from public office.
Case records show they were named co-defendants of then Provincial Treasurer Leyminda Violan and audit analyst Ma. Naomi Herrera over alleged irregularities in the bidding process for the procurement of seven Olympia typewriters.
Prosecutors said the defendants falsified Committee on Awards Resolution No. 007 to make it appear that five suppliers joined the public bidding for the contract when in fact there were only two.
Cebu City-based Datche Philippines Traders Corp. and Manila-based Olympia Business Machines Co. were listed as having participated but investigators found that only Family Part Center, Sunlight Marketing, and Adelina Center joined the bidding held on January 31, 1994.
Violan, the highest ranked defendant, remained at large even after the conviction of Ambray, Calo, and Quiñones but voluntarily surrendered on April 20, 2015 to the Regional Trial Court of Davao City.
On August 15, 2017, the Office of the Ombudsman submitted a plea bargain agreement with Violan for the court’s approval wherein the provincial treasurer withdrew her Not Guilty plea to the falsification charge and will instead plead guilty to a lesser crime of simple falsification.
In its decision dated November 20, 2017, the court sentenced Violan to imprisonment for four months to two years in addition to payment of fine amounting to P1,000.
On the other hand, the appeal of Calo, Ambray, and Quiñones was denied by the Supreme Court on February 10, 2015. This ruling became final and executory on March 14, 2016.
In contrast, a separate appeal of Herrera was granted and the SC acquitted her of the charge after reversing her conviction.
“By virtue of the Resolution dated December2, 2015 and Resolution dated March 14, 2016 rendered by the Supreme Court in G.R. No. 216736, let a Warrant of Arrest to Serve Sentence issue against said Leonardo Calo, Anecito Ambray, and Marlene Quinones,” the Sandiganbayan ordered.
