A former mayor of Capalonga, Camarines Norte, has been sentenced to up to 30 years in prison after being convicted on corruption charges related to the embezzlement of public funds, the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court disclosed on Sunday.

In a 77-page decision dated 7 November, the Sandiganbayan found Senandro Jalgalado, also known as “Pretty Boy,” guilty of graft, malversation, and falsification of public documents.

The charges stem from the alleged misuse of P2.82 million from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), commonly known as “pork barrel,” intended for the procurement of medicine supplies for his constituents in 2012.

Jalgalado was ordered to pay a fine of P5,000 and was held civilly liable to the government for P1.80 million plus 6 percent annual interest.

The case was filed after Jalgalado failed to account for the P2.82 million, which was part of a P14.5 million PDAF allocation from former Camarines Norte lawmaker Renato Unico Jr. The funds were supposed to be used for a medical mission in Capalonga town.

Court records showed that the former mayor had forged letter requests and acknowledgment receipts to make it appear that 11 of 51 barangay chairpersons had requested and received medicines for beneficiaries, despite no distribution having occurred.

The former mayor denied doctoring the documents, but the Sandiganbayan rejected his defense, noting that the documents were submitted by the Capalonga municipality itself to Unico’s office.

“Jalgalado failed to account for and produce the missing medicines, upon demand, without offering a satisfactory explanation for the said shortage,” the court’s decision read. “It, thus, created a prima facie presumption that the medicines, or the funds for that, were put to his personal use.”

The court concluded that Jalgalado, as the sitting mayor, had prepared the fraudulent documents and failed to provide any credible proof to rebut the conclusions of the investigation, offering only “mere denials and sheer allegations.”