La Union mayor gets 40 years for graft

TUBAO, La Union, Philippines — The mayor of this town has been sentenced to a maximum of 40 years in prison over irregular transactions entered into by the municipal government for the purchase of fogging chemicals in 2005 and 2006.

In a decision recently promulgated by the Sandiganbayan’s First Division, Dante Garcia was found guilty of violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

His co-accused, bids and awards committee members Rosemary Magwa, Dominador Aquino, Rosita Palaroan, Domingo Estoesta, Clarita Gaburian and Gina Collado, as well as chemical supplier Roger Crisostomo were meted the same prison term.

Saying there are loopholes in the decision, the respondents said they would file a motion for reconsideration.

Garcia’s counsel Vicente Ching said the Sandiganbayan ruled on the use of shopping as the mode of procurement when the issue raised by the Office of the Ombudsman is overpricing.

Ching said the ombudsman had earlier ruled that shopping is a legal mode of procurement.

He said they would also question the absence of a ruling on the case filed against municipal treasurer Samuel Padilla and the acquittal of Marites Velasco, another supplier.