Sarangani agriculturist gets life over P75,000

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan has sentenced a former agriculturist of Sarangani province to life imprisonment for pocketing close to P75,000.

The anti-graft court’s Fifth Division said Patricio Sol was found guilty of malversation through falsification of public documents when he made it appear that a disbursement voucher for P74,990 that he signed had been used as assistance to a tribal cooperative.

The court said Sol signed the voucher on June 19, 2002 as payment to Datal Lanao Tribal Cooperative for the construction of a multi-purpose drying project.

However, state auditors discovered that there was no such request from the cooperative.

“The cooperative was not yet in existence when the accused signed the voucher certifying that the expense is necessary and lawful and that the documents are complete because the said cooperative was registered only on July 18, 2002,” the court noted.

The court added that Datal Lanao Tribal Cooperative was not qualified to avail itself of the financial assistance because  it was not yet accredited by the  provincial government of Sarangani.

“By placing them at the disposal of private persons without due authorization or legal justification, he became as guilty of malversation as if he had personally taken them and converted them to his own use,” the decision stated.

The case against Sol’s co-accused, former Sarangani accountant Suzzette Clerigo, who remains at large, was archived until her arrest.

The principal accused, Sarangani Vice Gov. Felipe Katu Constantino, had died while former agriculturist Romeo Miole,was acquitted.