Sandigan junks Patnogon town officials’ petition

The Sandiganbayan Third Division disclosed that it has junked the petitions filed by Patnongon town Mayor Johnny Flores Bacongallo, Vice Mayor Thomas Bacaoco and former Mayor Henry Mondejar to overturn their conviction over graft charges.

This comes after they were found guilty of graft over the alleged anomalous donation of a P9.9-million rice mill to a cooperative last 27 April 2023.

Sandiganbayan also denied the petitions of incumbent councilors Felix Gregorio Barrientos, and Al Brian Crespo and
ex-councilors Erika Orcasitas, Rene Philip Cayetano, and Teopisto Estaris Jr., and Efren Escavilla, the chairperson of the Greater Antique Development or Grand Cooperative.

The graft case against them involves the irregular awarding of a rice mill project to Grand Coop drawn from former Antique lawmaker Exequiel Javier's P9.9-million Priority Development Assistance Fund, or pork barrel.

They were accused of conspiring to transfer ownership of the 40-ton rice mill between 2007 and 2008 to Grand Coop even without any research, study, or justification for choosing it as grantee.

The Ombudsman, which filed the case in 2017, said the transaction gave unwarranted benefits, advantages and preference to Grand Coop in violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or RA 3019.

According to the Ombudsman, the rice mill was originally intended for the municipality of Patnongon in Antique province.

Back in April, Javier walked free from graft charges after the prosecutors failed to present evidence that he participated or was even involved in the anomalous transaction. The Sandiganbayan also acquitted Councilor Gemma Cepeda of the same charges.

In affirming the convictions of other accused, the Sandiganbayan said it found "no compelling reason to amend, alter, revise or even reverse its ruling, asserting that the prosecution sufficiently established the elements of the crime charged.