MANILA – The Sandiganbayan has sentenced two former officials of the Philippine Aerospace Development Corp. (PADC) in connection with the loss of an aircraft part which was later sold by a private firm back to the government in 2008 .
In a 70-page decision dated Aug. 26 and written by Associate Justice Georgina Hidalgo, the anti-graft court found former PADC president and managing director Danilo Crisologo and senior vice president for marketing Roberto Manlavi guilty of malversation and graft sentencing them to up to 12 years imprisonment.
The court also ordered Crisologo and Manlavi to pay PHP111,754 representing the value of the aircraft part.
The third accused, PADC consultant storekeeper Louise Cabahug, remains at large.
A private individual, Generoso Quialatan, president of Wingtip Parts Corp. (WPC), died while the case was pending before the court.
Cabahug was in charge of the PADC storeroom where the part called aircraft fuel pressure indicator (AFPI) was stored and which was taken out and later sold by WPC to the Philippine Navy.
"While it is true that the prosecution did not present proof that Crisologo or Manlavi received some consideration or benefit from the extraction of the AFPI, said consideration or benefit is not necessary insofar as the modality of consenting to the taking of the public property is concerned," the court said.
The accused granted WPC's Quilatan access to the storeroom and had been warned of the illegality of hiring Cabahug, a non-bonded personnel to man the storeroom under the government auditing rules, it said.
The court said the accused did not explain how WPC got the aircraft part. (PNA)
