Sandigan convicts Sarangani NGO execs for pocketing aid

MANILA, Philippines — Two officials of a non-government organization (NGO) in Sarangani have been sentenced to up to a year in prison for pocketing P350,000 in provincial government funds.

In a decision promulgated on Oct. 28, the Sandiganbayan’s Sixth Division said Umbra Macagcalat and Hadji Mangelen, president and treasurer, respectively, of the Kamanga Muslim-Christian Fishermen’s Cooperative, were convicted of failure to render accounts under Article 218 of the Revised Penal Code.

The court also ordered the two to pay a fine of P6,000 each.

Macagcalat, Mangelen and four former Sarangani provincial government officials were originally charged with graft and malversation of public funds in connection with fictitious financial assistance to the NGO in 2002.

In a plea bargain deal entered into with the Office of the Special Prosecutor in July, Macagcalat and Mangelen agreed to withdraw their not guilty plea in the malversation case and to plead guilty to the lesser offense of failure to render accounts.

The two also agreed to pay the government, through the cashier of the Sandiganbayan, P350,000, representing  the amount of public funds involved in the cases.

In exchange, the prosecution dropped the graft and malversation charges against the two NGO officials.

Conviction for graft carries a penalty of six to 15 years in prison while malversation of public funds carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison.

Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2011, the cases stemmed from the disbursement of provincial funds, which investigation showed the cooperative neither requested nor received as financial assistance.

The ombudsman said Mangelen and Macagcalat, in conspiracy with the accused provincial officials, encashed the check “for their own personal use and benefit.”

The court dismissed the charges filed against former Sarangani vice governor Felipe Constantino following his death.

Former provincial treasurer Cesar Cagang, provincial accountant Maria Camanay and executive assistant to vice governor Amelia Carmela Zoleta were the other respondents in the cases.