Ex-Palace communications execs get 8 years for graft

MANILA, Philippines — Former officials of Malacañang’s Bureau of Communications Services (BCS) under the Arroyo administration were sentenced to up to eight years in prison over the anomalous procurement of a printing machine in 2005.

In a 40-page decision promulgated on May 25 and released to the media yesterday, the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division found former bids and awards committee chairperson Darius Josue, vice chairperson Eden Villarosa and members Angelito Enriquez and Lino Aala and Special Production Division chief Leonardo Alcantara Jr. guilty of violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The BCS is a division of the Government Mass Media Group under the Office of the President.

Filed by the Office of Ombudsman in 2011, the prosecutors alleged that a P882,075 rent-to-own contract for a Heidelberg single color offset printing machine was awarded to Ernest Printing Corp. on Nov. 7, 2005 without a public bidding and an approved budget.

The ombudsman further said P850,000 was released to the firm upon the signing of the contract instead of the monthly amortization of P73,506.