INCUMBENT and former officials of Barlig, Mountain Province are facing 12 years imprisonment after the Sandiganbayan Third Division affirmed their conviction on two counts of graft each punishable by six years in jail.
In an 18-page resolution promulgated September 20, 2021 but released only this week, the anti-graft court denied motions for reconsideration filed by the accused, led by former mayor Magdalena Lupoyon and treasurer Albert Marafo.
The cases involved alleged irregularities in the municipal government’s handling of cash donations of P3 million from ABS-CBN Corp. and P364,890 from GMA Network Inc. in 2009.
The court said the funds were used on public works projects that did not undergo public bidding — repair of a pathway to Mount Amuyao for the GMA donation and construction of an open gymnasium for the ABS-CBN money.
Instead, some members of the Sangguniang Bayan participated in the hiring of laborers and delivery of construction materials.
Government auditors also testified the donations were made to a private account rather than in the municipal government’s official bank account with the Land Bank of the Philippines as required by law. They said it hinted at a “deliberate attempt” to evade government accounting and auditing rules.
Furthermore, the donation from ABS-CBN was not recorded in the municipal government’s trust fund books hence there were no corresponding journal entry voucher and report of collections or deposits.
Lupoyon and Marafo were pronounced guilty of two counts of graft while former vice mayor Edmundo Sidchayao, Sangguniang Bayan members Clark Ngaya and Fernando Cablog, and municipal engineer Danilo Lucas were convicted of one count of the same criminal offense and meted six years imprisonment.
