Ex-lawmaker gets 56 years over ‘pork’ scam 

MANILA, Philippines — A former congressman from Leyte has been sentenced to 56 years in prison in connection with the pork barrel scam in 2007.

In a 52-page decision promulgated yesterday, the Sandiganbayan found former congressman Eduardo Veloso of the third district of Leyte guilty of two counts of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act (RA) 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and two counts of malversation of public funds as provided under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code.

Aside from Veloso, the anti-graft court also found guilty of the same offenses Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, group manager of the defunct state firm Technology Resource Center (TRC), formerly the Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC).

Veloso and Lacsamana were sentenced to six to 10 years in prison for each count of the graft offense and 12 to 18 years for each count of malversation, or a total of 36 to 56 years for all counts of both offenses.

Aside from prison terms, the respondents were ordered to pay a fine of P24.2 million, which is equivalent to the amount of public funds they malversed.

The court said the amount was on top of another P24.2 million that Veloso and Lacsamana, together with their acquitted co-accused, must return to the government.

The anti-graft court also disqualified  Veloso from holding public office.The Sandiganbayan acquitted former TRC deputy director general Dennis Cunanan, group manager Francisco

Figura and chief accountant Marivic Jover due to the failure of the prosecu-tion to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.As for their civil liability, the court ordered Cunanan, Figura and Jover to return along with Veloso and Lacsamana the P24.2 million to the government treasury.

Meanwhile, the cases against TRC director general Antonio Ortiz were ordered archived without prejudice to their revival upon his arrest.Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2019, the cases stemmed from the allocation of P24.2 million of Veloso’s Priority Development Assistance Fund to Aaron Foundation Philippines Inc. (AFPI)The ombudsman said the projects were awarded to the AFPI without public bidding as required under the law.