TWO former officers of the now defunct Technology Resource Center (TRC), a government-owned or controlled corporation (GOCC), have been convicted by the Sandiganbayan of graft and malversation of public funds in connection with the “pork barrel” scam.
In a 61-page decision promulgated October 14, 2022, a special division of five justices sentenced former TRC group head Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana and former legislative liaison officer Belina Concepcion to six years imprisonment for one count of graft and 12 years for one count of malversation of public funds, or a total of 18 years.
Private defendant Edison Sabio, chairman of the Aksyon Makamasa Foundation Inc. (AMFI), was sentenced on two counts each of graft and malversation and was meted a total of 36 years in jail.
Concepcion was ordered to pay fines amounting to P9.5 million and P19 million in civil liability, while Lacsamana was fined to the tune of P10.56 million and imposed civil liability amounting to P21.12 million.
Sabio, having been convicted in all four cases, was ordered to pay fines totaling P20.06 million and to indemnify the government in the sum of P40.12 million.
All five justices of the special division supported the conviction of the three accused, but Associate Justice Bayani H. Jacinto dissented from the majority regarding the acquittal of former TRC director general Dennis Cunanan, group leader Francisco Figura, and chief accountant Marivic Jover.
Associate Justice and Second Division chairperson Oscar C. Herrera Jr. penned the majority decision concurred in by Associate Justices Michael Frederick Musngi, Efren N. de la Cruz and Geraldine Faith A. Econg.
Based on the charges filed in 2017 by the Office of the Ombudsman, a P20.06 million sum sourced from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of former Isabela Rep. Anthony Miranda was funneled into AMFI in 2007 using TRC as a conduit.
Government auditors traced that at the time, Miranda was the chairman, founder, and an incorporator of AMFI. He was also the one who picked his NGO as implementor of supposed livelihood projects in his district funded by his PDAF allocations.
Miranda and TRC director general Antonio Ortiz were named co-accused in the cases but have remained at-large. The Sandiganbayan ordered warrants of arrest issued against them.
“Evidence bear out that AMFI was unilaterally chosen and indorsed as project implementor for the congressional district of Isabela without the benefit of either an appropriation law or the conduct of public bidding,” the Sandiganbayan noted.
The court said there is nothing on record to show that AMFI was vetted as the rules required before public funds were entrusted to it.
Its selection was based simply because it was pre-identified by Miranda.
The court said that as frontline officers of the TRC, Lacsamana and Concepcion were expected to take charge or monitor the legislator’s PDAF.
