EDITORIAL - 187 years for the PDAF scam

Remember the pork barrel scam? At least the judiciary, although moving at its usual leisurely pace, has not forgotten.

In a decision promulgated on April 14, the Sandiganbayan sentenced a former Bukidnon congressman to a combined prison term of up to 187 years on charges of misusing P36.9 million of his Priority Development Assistance Fund or congressional pork barrel from 2007 to 2008.

Former Bukidnon 1st District congressman Candido Pancrudo Jr. was convicted of eight counts of graft, four counts of malversation of public funds and four counts of the complex crime of malversation through falsification of public documents.

Convicted along with Pancrudo were Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, the former group manager of the now abolished Technology Resource Center, and Johanne Edward Labay of the non-government organization Farmerbusiness Development Corp. or FDC.

Their sentence means they could spend up to 40 years behind bars. They were also ordered to pay the government P36.9 million in civil liability, another P32.8 million each to the court and a fine of P4.1 million each. They were also disqualified from holding public office.

A conviction can still be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. The case, however, should remind the nation about the scandal that rocked the legislature involving what appeared to be a widespread and systematic misuse of the congressional pork barrel. As unearthed by the Commission on Audit and detailed by six whistle-blowers, PDAF funds were funneled through bogus or non-accredited foundations and NGOs for non-existent projects, with the lawmakers as the ultimate beneficiaries of the fund diversion.

In the case involving Pancrudo, which was filed in 2017 by the Office of the Ombudsman, he was charged with releasing a total of P36.9 million under his PDAF allocation to the FDC for the implementation of livelihood projects in his district. Ombudsman prosecutors said the projects were awarded without public bidding and were not implemented by the FDC, which was not an accredited foundation.

The PDAF scam led to the Supreme Court banning lawmakers from earmarking projects for implementation under lump sum appropriations after the annual national budget has been approved. The SC ruling also banned congressional insertions in the General Appropriations Act.

There have been previous convictions related to the pork barrel scam, but many other former and incumbent government officials and private individuals still face trial or investigation in connection with the PDAF scandal. The best deterrent to the emergence of a similar scandal and the misuse of public funds is seeing those who engage in it being punished. The wheels of justice must turn faster in the pork barrel scam.