Sandigan affirms ex-Bukidnon town mayor’s conviction

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has upheld the conviction for graft and falsification of public documents of former mayor Laurencia Edma of San Fernando town in Bukidnon in connection with the anomalous purchase of heavy equipment in 2004.

The anti-graft court’s seventh division said Edma and her co-accused, former municipal accountant Felipa Catanus, state auditor Carlito Matias and private respondent Bernardita Basay, proprietor of the Mindanao Philippine Sunday Journal, failed to raise any meritorious argument in their joint motion for reconsideration to reverse or modify its Aug. 26 decision finding the four guilty of the offenses.

“The accused merely made a general statement that as no proof of conspiracy has been presented by the prosecution, they are entitled to an acquittal,” the court said in a decision dated Oct. 19, which was released recently.

The court found Edma and Catanus guilty of violating Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

They were sentenced to six to 10 years in prison with the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

Edma and Matias were found guilty of three counts of falsification of public documents and sentenced to up to eight years in prison for each case. They were ordered to pay a fine of P5,000 for each count.

Basay was found guilty of two counts of falsification of public documents, with the same prison term for each count. She was also ordered to pay a fine of P5,000.

Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2014, the cases stemmed from the San Fernando municipal government’s purchase of a soil compactor and a tractor amounting to P14 million from Monark Equipment Corp. without public bidding.

The ombudsman said the accused conspired to make it appear that a public bidding was conducted.

During trial, Matias testified that the local government conducted a public bidding and Monark Equipment offered the most reasonable price.

The court said Basay falsely testified that an invitation to bid for the equipment was published in her newspaper.