PGH cashier gets 52 years for P.8-M theft

MANILA, Philippines - A former Philippine General Hospital cashier was sentenced to serve 52 years in prison for stealing a total of P.8 million from the PGH, the Office of the Ombudsman said yesterday.

Adelaine Bacor was convicted by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 22 of three counts of malversation of public funds, three counts of falsification of public documents and one count of graft.

For each count of malversation, she received a maximum sentence of 16 years in prison; a maximum of nine years for each count of falsification and eight years for graft.

The court also ordered her to pay a fine of P96,329 and barred her from reentering government service. 

Ombudsman prosecutors during trial proved that as cash clerk, Bacor made it appear that from July to December 2005, she collected only P21,778.50 when the total cash collections amounted to P883,047.60. 

Upon audit, it was found that Bacor did not remit payments by 44 cardiac catheterization laboratory patients and that she misdeclared the true names of patients and procedures done.