Ex-PAF officer loses appeal on graft cases

The Sandiganbayan has denied the appeal of a former Philippine Air Force (PAF) officer who had sought the dismissal of his graft cases involving P89 million in alleged ghost deliveries of supplies and materials.

In a resolution dated 27 September, the anti-graft court’s Special Fifth Division said it found “no compelling reason” to reverse its ruling in August which denied PAF First Lt. Danilo Pangilinan’s motion to quash the six counts of graft brought against him.

The Sandiganbayan was not convinced about Pangilinan’s assertion that the court’s decision dismissing the cases of his co-accused should likewise apply to him.

“Unlike Pangilinan, his co-accused moved to quash the information before arraignment and within months following the filing of the information. It is significant to note that Pangilinan did not concern himself with the result of the preliminary investigation when he left the country for the United States of America in 2008,” the Sandiganbayan said.

Pangilinan was among the PAF officers indicted in 2009 over allegations of defrauding the government in the amount of P89 million through ghost deliveries.