The Sandiganbayan has convicted former Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office chief Brig. Gen. Raul Petrasanta and other officials on graft charges in relation to the “defective” licensing of more than 100 AK-47 rifles from 2011 to 2013.
Petrasanta was found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of 14 counts of graft and was sentenced to six to 10 years’ imprisonment for each conviction, with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
There was no civil liability imposed since the prosecution failed to convincingly prove the amount of civil damages suffered by the government.
The case stemmed from a 2014 Criminal Investigation and Detection Group report showing that the accused officials and personnel processed and authorized firearms licenses for four private security firms and a mining company despite falsified and incomplete documents.
“A careful review of the records reveals that the applications for firearm licenses submitted by JTC [Mineral Mining Corporation], Claver [Mineral Development Corporation], Isla [Security Agency], and Caraga were tainted with deficient and anomalous documents. These irregularities underscore their substantial non-compliance with the mandatory legal and administrative requirements,” the decision stated.
“The pattern of irregularity is too consistent and too extensive to be outrightly dismissed as a product of administrative lapse. It is, thus, inconceivable that these approving authorities, tasked with the solemn duty of regulating the issuance of licenses for high-powered firearms, could have failed to take notice of such deficiencies,” it added.
Following the Sixth Division’s decision, promulgated on 05 December, other officials were also convicted on various counts of graft.
Former Firearms and Licensing Division chief Senior Superintendent Eduardo Acierto was convicted of 11 counts of graft, and assistant division chief Senior Superintendent Allan A. Parreño of 10 counts.
Civil Service Security Group chief Police Director Gil C. Meneses was found guilty of six counts of graft.
Chief Superintendent Napoleon Estilles, Senior Superintendent Regino Catiis, Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies chief Chief Superintendent Tomas Rentoy III, and former FEO Inspection and Enforcement section chief Chief Inspector Nelson Bautista were convicted on three counts each.
SPO1 Randy de Sesto was convicted on two counts, while former I&E assistant chief Chief Inspector Ricardo Zapata Jr. was convicted on one count.
It was also reported that some of the firearms were recovered from the New People’s Army during a clash with the military in 2014.