MANILA: Two former regional directors of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have been convicted by the Sandiganbayan for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in connection with projects funded with the Countrywide Development Fund (CDF), the old name of the Priority Development Assistance Fund.
Found guilty by the graft court for violation of Section 3(e) of the anti-graft law were Carlos Derecho (7 counts) and Quirino Libunao (2 counts), former regional directors of the DILG in Caraga Region.
The corresponding punishment for each count of the violation was six years and one month up to 10 years with perpetual disqualification of from holding office.
The case was spurred by the Commission on Audit’s (COA) special audit on the use of the CDF allocated to former Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep Constantino Navarro.
The audit covered transactions from 1997 to 1998 involving the amount of P13,832,569.38.
Navarro is yet to be arraigned pending evaluation of his mental condition.
The Sandiganbayan found that on separate occasions, the CDF was used to purchase assorted medicines, drug testing kits, rice paddy plows, notebooks, ballpoint pens, and blackboard erasers without public bidding, with the DILG-Caraga acting as the implementing agency.
During the trial, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) presented evidence to prove that direct contracting was unjustified in view of the availability of substitutes in the market.
The Philippine Star
