Sandiganbayan convicts former Zamboanga del Norte councilor for faking drug busts 13 June 2011, source: Ombudsman Website
The Sandiganbayan Second Division sentenced a former councilor in Zamboanga del Norte to 6-10 years in prison for faking drug busts to claim money from the coffers of the local government.
In a 9-page decision penned by Presiding Justice Edilberto Sandoval, the anti-graft court handed down a guilty verdict against Ricardo Inding, former councilor of Dapitan City, for violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).
Associate Justices Teresita Diaz-Baldos and Samuel Martires both concurred with the decision.
Section 3, paragraph (e) of RA 3019 refers to the causing of “any undue injury to any party including the Government or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.â€
Inding was also meted the penalty of perpetual disqualification from ever holding public office when he scammed the city government worth P30,500 and was ordered to reimburse the city the amount he pocketed.
Records showed that Inding faked drug busts against alleged drug pushers and users in 1997 and falsified documents for the reimbursement of the cost.
The complaint stated that Inding made it appear that he headed the committee on illegal drugs of the city’s Sangguniang Panglunsod (SP).
However, it was discovered that no such committee subsisted nor has been officially created.
According to the records, Inding chaired the committee on tourism and was also a member of the committees on youth and sports development, and on health and sanitation.
It was revealed that Inding made it appear that there were surveillance, test-buys and buy-busts done from January-August 1997 as reflected in his false confidential report.
Police records however disclosed that only two arrests were made during the said period but did not mention him or credit the arrests they made to Inding’s so-called anti-drug drive.
The Sandiganbayan said it got the impression that the members of the team were fictitious because Inding submitted community tax certificates whose dates of issuance did not tally with official records in order to support his reimbursement claims which was issued by his cousin, barangay treasurer Efrina Inding.
The anti-graft court stated that the prosecution led by Prosecutor Alma Azanza, “has proved more prosaic language of the law, the guilt of the accused (Inding) beyond reasonable doubt.â€
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