THE Sandiganbayan has convicted a former legislative liaison officer of the Technology Resource Center (TRC) of graft and malversation charges in relation to the alleged unlawful release of P10 million from the pork barrel allocations of late Compostela Valley Rep. Prospero Amatong.
Accused Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana was sentenced to six to ten years imprisonment for the graft charge and 12 to 18 years for malversation of public funds or a total of 18 to 28 years with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
Four of her co-accused Butch Canoy, Vincent Jaudian, Mercy Cabig, and Alfredo Soriano, all executives of non-government organization Philippine Environment and Ecological Development Association Inc. (PEEDAI), were also found guilty of graft and similarly meted six to ten years jail terms.
All five convicted defendants were also ordered to pay the national treasury P10 million as indemnity to the government for undue injury.
In the separate malversation of public funds case, Lacsamana was also told to pay P10 million in fines and another P10 million as restitution.
The anti-graft court however acquitted former TRC director general Dennis Cunanan and corporate support services head Francisco Figura.
Based on the charges filed in 2019, prosecutors said the defendants conspired to defraud the government by releasing Amatong’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations to TRC which then transferred the sum to PEEDAI.
However, graft investigators and government auditors said the supposed “district-wide livelihud (sic) and entrepreneurial development” projects turned out to be non-existent.
In convicting Lacsama and her co-defendants, the court said evidence presented validated the findings of graft investigators that PEEDAI was chosen in violation of appropriations laws and without the required public bidding.
“There was a pattern in the acts of Canoy, Jaudian, Cabig, and Soriano together with Lacsamana, indicative of an overall unlawful scheme. The PDAF-related transactions caused undue injury to the government and gave unwarranted benefits to Rep. Amatong and/or PEEDAI in the total amount of P9,800,000,” the Sandiganbayan declared.
