Former Maguindanao governor Sajid Ampatuan was sentenced to reclusion perpetua and perpetual disqualification to hold public office by the Sandiganbayan 1st Division for each of three counts of malversation of public funds.

His co-accused, Datu Ali Abpi Al Haj, former Maguindanao provincial budget officer was likewise sentenced to reclusion perpetua and perpetual disqualification to hold public office for each of the three malversation cases, but was not able to attend the promulgation of judgment because he is suffering from stage 4 cancer, according to his lawyer.

Ampatuan was present during the promulgation via video conferencing.

According to the Revised Penal Code, a person sentenced to reclusion perpetua shall be imprisoned for 20 to 40 years but may be pardoned by the President after serving 30 years.

For the three malversation cases, Ampatuan and Abpi were also sentenced by the court to pay jointly or severally the equivalent amount of malversed funds: P29.8 million, P30.3 million and P12.8 million.

Ampatuan and Abpi went on trial for graft and malversation through falsification of public documents cases involving the supposed procurement of rice, sardines, brown sugar and dried fish in 2009.

“Truth be told, public funds were disbursed on account of systematic replication and issuance of falsified procurement and disbursement documents,” the court said in the decision penned by Associate Justice Geraldine Econg, with the concurrence of Division Chairperson Efren Dela Cruz and Associate Justice Arthur Malabaguio.

P29.8 million worth of supplies were supposedly purchased from Nestor Merchandise, P30.3 million and 12.8 million from H&S Merchandise and P6.6 million from Isulan & General Merchandise when no such purchases were made, based on the investigation conducted by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Both Sajid and Abpi were also found guilty of four counts of graft and were each sentenced to 6 to 8 years imprisonment for each of the four counts.

The two were also found guilty of another count of malversation but were only sentenced to 14 to 18 years and were ordered to jointly or severally to pay a penalty of P6.6 million.

Abpi was also found guilty of another count of graft and was sentenced to 6 to 8 years imprisonment as well as another count of malversation with the penalty of reclusion perpetua and payment of P15.7 million.

It was noted in the decision that the province of Maguindanao lost funds amounting to P15.7 million and P79.7 million from its internal revenue allotment.

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The court also stressed in the decision that Ampatuan was the requesting as well as the approving authority of the procurement activities, while his co-accused also took an active part by falsifying documents as well as recommending negotiated procurement instead of competitive bidding.

“In fine, the concerted acts of the accused in emptying the coffers of the government through the ghost projects prove that they appropriated, took, misappropriated, consented or permitted another person to take funds from IRA,” the court said.

The lawyer of Ampatuan initially asked for a deferment of the promulgation as they have a pending petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court but Econg only noted the oral manifestation as the court has not received any temporary restraining order.

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