Ex-BASECO director gets 104 years for graft

MANILA, Philippines — A former director of the Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Corp. Inc. (BASECO) has been sentenced to up to 104 years in prison for multiple counts of graft over alleged unjustified cash withdrawals of P102.07 million from 2008 to 2010.

In a 92-page decision promulgated on May 24 but released to media only recently, the Sandiganbayan Third Division found Agustiniana Avelino guilty of 13 counts of violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Avelino was meted six years and one month up to eight years in prison for each count of the offense, for a total of 79 up to 104 years in prison.

However, the country’s justice system limits the maximum period of imprisonment for a felon to 40 years under Article 70 of the Revised Penal Code.

Avelino was ordered to return the P102.07 million to the government, through the Bureau of the Treasury.

The court said the amount shall incur an interest of six percent per year from the finality of the decision until fully paid.

The Sandiganbayan also ordered Avelino’s perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

The Third Division has dismissed the cases filed against former BASECO president and board of director Proceso Maligalig following his death on July 23, 2021.

Filed by the ombudsman in 2018, the cases stemmed from 13 cash withdrawals totaling P102,070,993.33, which Maligalig and Avelino allegedly made from October 2008 to December 2010.