Ex-Maguindanao governor faces 75 more cases

MANILA, Philippines -  The Office of the Ombudsman has filed 75 more criminal cases against former Maguindanao governor Sajid Ampatuan and six other former officials of the province over the alleged misuse of P38 million worth of public funds in 2009.

Filed before the Sandiganbayan on May 22, the fresh batch of cases include one count of violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, one count of malversation of public funds and 73 counts of falsification of public documents.

This is the third batch of cases that the ombudsman lodged against Ampatuan since April. All the cases stemmed from alleged anomalous multimillion-peso transactions that the provincial government entered into in 2009 during his term as governor.

Just as in the first and second batch of cases, named as Ampatuan’s co-accused were six former provincial officials: accountant John Estelito Dollosa Jr., general services officer and bids and awards committee chairman Kasan Macapendeg, and BAC members Osmeña Bandila, Norie Unas, Ali Abpi Al Haj and Landap Guinaid.

Guinaid was included in the charge sheets despite his death in July 2016 in an ambush at the provincial capitol in Shariff Aguak.

The ombudsman said Ampatuan and the other respondents allegedly conspired to release public funds totaling P38,129,117 from January 2008 to September 2009 for the supposed purchase of construction materials and lumber for the repair of various school buildings in the province.

The ombudsman said the respondents made it appear that the amount was paid to a “non-existent” supplier, Abo Lumberyard and Construction Supply.

The ombudsman said the respondents falsified 73 disbursement vouchers to make it appear that a total of P38 million was paid to the supplier.

The ombudsman set bail at P1.822 million for each respondent.

With this recent filing by the ombudsman, Ampatuan now stands accused in a total of 272 cases before the Sandiganbayan.

Last May 9, the ombudsman filed against Ampatuan and the six former provincial officials 35 cases of graft, malversation, and falsification for the alleged “ghost” purchase of P16.317 million in food supplies from another fictitious supplier.

In April, the ombudsman filed 161 criminal cases against Ampatuan and the same former provincial officials in connection with alleged anomalous multimillion-peso infrastructure projects such as road construction and school building repair.

Ampatuan’s older brother, Andal Ampatuan Jr. was named as co-accused in eight of these cases.

Arrest warrants were issued by the Sandiganbayan for the first batch of cases but Ampatuan and his co-accused have yet to post bail.

Ampatuan and Andal Jr., together with their late father Andal Ampatuan Sr., are the primary accused in the November 2009 Maguindanao massacre that left 58 people, including 32 journalists, dead.

Sajid was granted bail by the Quezon City regional trial court in March 2015 due to insufficient evidence.

Andal Jr. and his brothers Zaldy and Anwar remain detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.