Former Maguindanao Mayor convicted of graft, malversation
02 October 2013, from Ombudsman Press Release
The Sandiganbayan convicted a former municipal mayor of Kabuntalan, Maguindanao of two counts of graft and one count of malversation of public funds for pocketing the salary of a municipal councilor in 2000.
In a 22-page decision penned by Associate Justice Oscar Herrera, Jr. and concurred in by Associate Justices Teresita Diaz-Baldoz and Napoleon Inoturan, the anti-graft court’s Second Division found Salipongan Dagloc guilty of two counts of Violation of Section 3(a) of Republic Act (RA) No.3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) and sentenced him to suffer the penalty of imprisonment of six years and one month, as minimum, to 10 years as maximum, for each count. He shall also suffer perpetual disqualification from public office.
The court also found Dagloc and former acting municipal treasurer Usman Zailon guilty of Malversation of Public Funds, under Article 217, paragraph 4, of the Revised Penal Code and sentenced them to suffer the penalty of imprisonment of 10 years and one day as prision mayor as minimum to 16 years, five months, and 11 days of reclusion temporal as maximum and to pay a fine in the amount of ₱14,229.00 each. They shall also suffer perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
Zailon and Dagloc were ordered to indemnify private complainant Bhernie Bagundang in the amount of ₱14,229.00 with legal interest at 12% per annum, reckoned from April 2000 until the amount is fully paid.
The court found that Bagundang was not paid his salary for April 2000 as member of the municipal council, and that Dagloc induced Zailon to release the amount to Dagloc who converted the same for his own benefit.
The court stated that neither Dagloc nor Zailon presented evidence to dispute the charges , “
nstead, both of them jumped bail, so to speak, refused to appear in court, and have since remained at large with standing warrants of arrest against them. This, the court holds, constitutes flight which is an indication of guilt.â€
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