MANILA – The Sandiganbayan has denied the motion for reconsideration filed by three former officials of National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR) convicted last October for malversation and graft for the alleged misuse of former South Cotabato Rep. Arthur Pingoy Jr.'s pork barrel from 2007 to 2009.
The anti-graft court, in a four-page resolution written by Associate Justice Edgardo M. Caldona dated Jan. 31, denied the motion for reconsideration filed by the three former NABCOR officials -- Director for Financial Services Rhodora B. Mendoza, bookkeeper Maria Ninez P. Guanizo, and paralegal Victor Roman C. Cacal -- who were found guilty of graft and sentenced last October to six to 10 years imprisonment along with businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.
Pingoy was acquitted along with four others in the charges of the misuse of the then legislator's PHP20.91 million Priority Development Assistance fund (PDAF) from 2007 to 2009.
The accused had claimed that they should be cleared and said the act of affixing their signatures on disbursement vouchers and checks had the presumption of regularity and that they made sure that all supporting papers were proper and complete.
“In all, the Court thus reiterates its findings that the prosecution has proven the guilt of accused-movants beyond reasonable doubt of the crimes of violation of Sec. 3(e) of RA 3019 and malversation of public funds and finds no strong reasons to disturb its questioned decision,” the court said. (PNA)
